Mason Fibre Co.  (1925-1928)

Masonite Corporation    (1928-present)

standard gauge, mill switching only

Headquarters: Wausau, Wisc.

Mill Location: Laurel, MS (Jones County)

Mill Capacity

Years of Operation: 1925-present

Miles Operated

Locomotives Owned

Equipment:

 

 

Click Map for Larger Version

History by Gil Hoffman:

The Mason Fibre Company was chartered on September 1, 1925, and that same month began construction of a plant to manufacture wall board and insulation, adjacent to the mill of the Wausau Southern Lumber Company, in Laurel. This plant utilized the waste from the Wausau Southern mill. Operations began in the spring of 1926. The name of the company was later changed to Masonite Corporation in March 1928.

Masonite acquired this former AT&N Lima 2-8-0 on December 14, 1942 from Chickasaw Shipbuilding near Mobile. 

50-ton Shay No. 51 was bought from used equipment dealer BR&L on July 28, 1936. 

An early view of the Mason Fibre Co. in the 1920's. 

Another early view of Mason Fibre Co. under construction. The Wausau Southern Lumber Co. machine shop and mill is visible in the distance, as well as an interesting water car used on the logging railroad. 

50-ton Shay No. 50 was acquired from Wausau Southern Lumber Co., which was owned by the same group that owned Masonite Corp. 

Nice head-on view of No. 50 shows the off-center boiler. Photo taken on July 13, 1937. Building on left was the Masonite office. 

Shay 50 and crew on July 13, 1937. 

Masonite later acquired this diesel switcher to replace the former IC 0-6-0 steam locomotive used by Masonite in later years. Masonite still keeps this engine stored in a shed today. 

Masonite 101 was a center-cab GE switcher acquired in the late 1950's. 

Another nice shot of Masonite No. 100 in the 1950's. 

Masonite plant in 1948. 

1948 photo of pulpwood being unloaded at Masonite. 

Nice shot of Southern Ry pulpwood cars at Masonite in 1948. 

STEAM ROSTER by Gil Hoffman:   

Road No.

Type

Builder

C.N.

Date

Cyls.

Dri. Dia.

Engine

Wt.

Previous Ownership

Disposition

4

37-2 Shay

 

 

        

Lima

1577

12/1905

3-10x12

29½

74000

American Lumber Co. #3, Calvert, AL

Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #968

Morgan & Fentress Ry. #3, Catoosa, TN, on 12/1/1915.

Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co. #1198.

Wausau Southern Lumber Co. #2, Laurel, MS,

on 4/5/1918.

Masonite Corp. #4, Laurel, MS, by 9/1929.

Returned to Wausau Southern Lumber Co., on 7/27/1931 and scrapped.

50

50-2 Shay

Lima

3035

5/1919

3-11x12

32

100000

Wausau Southern Lumber Co. @50, Laurel, MS

Masonite Corp. #50, Laurel, MS,

on 7/27/1931, as replacement for Shay #4.

 

51

50-2 Shay

Lima

2993

9/1918

3-11x12

32

100000

Beacon Coal Co. #3, Hopedale, OH

Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co. #1664, in 1927.

Masonite Corp. #51, on 7/28/1936.

 

100

2-8-0

Lima

5984

5/1920

20x24

46

157000

Alabama, Tennessee & Northern #203, Mobile, AL

Gulf Shipbuilding Corp., Chickasaw, AL

Masonite Corp. #100, on 12/14/1942.

 

268

0-6-0

A/Schen.

54754

6/1914

21x26

52

167000

Illinois Central #268

Masonite Corp. #268, on 7/17/1953.

Donated to City of Laurel, MS,

 in 1963 (for display).

 

 

 

 

 

 

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For more information contact Tony Howe at howe6818@bellsouth.net or David S. Price at dsprice46@bellsouth.net