Oakdale & Gulf Railway (1916-1927)
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Standard Gauge Headquarters: Oakdale, LA Years of Operation: 1916-1927 Predecessor Roads: Successor Roads: none Miles Operated: Main line: Oakdale, LA to Wards, LA, 11.117 miles, later extended to Pine Prairie, 17.6 miles Locomotives Owned: |
Equipment 6/30/1919: Locomotiives: 1. Cars: 1
caboose. |
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HISTORY by Gil Hoffman:
The
Oakdale & Gulf Railway was incorporated in Louisiana on
February 7, 1916, with $10,000 in outstanding capital stock. It was
chartered to haul freight only. The entire capital stock was held by
stockholders of the Bowman-Hicks Lumber Company and the Forest Lumber
Company in about equal proportions. The
mainline extended from Oakdale, LA., where it connected with the Missouri
Pacific and Jasper & Eastern, to Wards, LA., where it again connected
with the Missouri Pacific, 11.73 miles. The railroad served the mills of
its two owners at Oakdale, the mill of J. S. & W. M. Rice at Wards,
LA, and the turpentine still of the Independent Naval Stores Company at
Adams, 4 miles from Oakdale. The
tracks of the O&G were originally built using leased rail by the
lumber companies as facilities of their respective mills at Oakdale. The
O&G commenced operations on May 17, 1916, leasing its main line and
buildings, etc. for $12,000 per year for a period of 10 years. The
line between Oakdale and Godwin, 4.29 miles, was built jointly by the
Forest Lumber Company and the Bowman-Hicks Lumber Company in 1915-16, and
was leased to the O&G on May 17, 1916. The rest of the line was built
jointly by the two lumber companies in 1922, and operating rights granted
to the O&G. In
February 1922 the Rice sawmill at Wards discontinued operations after
which traffic on the O&G ceased from that point. Permission to abandon
operation of the line between Caney and Wards, 5.13 miles, was obtained
from the ICC on October 13, 1923. This line had been unprofitable because
the O&G had been prohibited by the ICC from receiving division of
rates from the MP. The
Bowman-Hicks Lumber Company ceased operations in 1924 and the Forest Lumber
Company discontinued sawmill operations in May 1927. Practically all of the
tonnage hauled by the O&G consisted of forest products. Once the mill of
the Forest Lumber Company cut out the line was without revenue.
Consequently, application was made to the ICC on September 10, 1927 for
permission to abandon operation of the line from Oakdale to Pine Prairie,
LA, 17.6 miles, all in Allen and Evangeline parishes. Permission was granted
on November 17, 1927. REFERENCES 1. “Oakdale & Gulf Railway
Company,” Valuation Docket No. 471, Interstate Commerce Commission
Reports, Vol. 110, p. 532-43. 2.
”Oakdale & Gulf Railway Company,” Finance Docket No. 9024, Interstate
Commerce Commission Reports, Vol. 58, p. 450-4. 3.
”Abandonment of Operation of Line by Oakdale & Gulf Railway,”
Finance Docket No. 2996, Interstate Commerce Commission Reports, Vol.
82, p. 450-2. 4.
”Abandonment of Operation of Line by Oakdale & Gulf Railway,”
Finance Docket No. 4281, Interstate Commerce Commission Reports, Vol.
94, p. 171-3. 5.
”Abandonment of Operation of Line by Oakdale & Gulf Railway,”
Finance Docket No. 6517, Interstate Commerce Commission Reports, Vol.
131, p. 484-5
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| ROSTER by Gil Hoffman:
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For more information contact Tony Howe at tonyhowe76@yahoo.com or David S. Price at davidsprice46@gmail.com