The Southwest Missouri Railroad Company was a rail carrier in the tri-state mining region of southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma. An outgrowth of passenger streetcar lines with 94 miles of track, it became a smaller but full-fledged electric freight railway by the time it ceased operations effective May 31, 1939.
The beginnings of the railroad were as the Twin City Railway Company, a horsecar line (elsewhere called a mule road)[1] between Webb City, Missouri and Carterville, Missouri organized by A.H. Rogers in 1889.[2] That in turn was absorbed in 1892 by the Southwest Missouri Electric Railway Company, of which Rogers was named President.[2] That electrified line was in operation by 1893 between the mining camps at Webb City, where the railroad was headquartered, and Joplin, Missouri.[2][3] The line added Carterville and Prosperity, Missouri, and also expanded its road by purchase of other lines, namely the Joplin & Galena Electric Railway and the Jasper County Electric Railway, in 1896.[2]
The year 1906 was pivotal to the company. It continued to expand, extending its line to Galena, Kansas, and having a subsidiary, the Webb City Northern Electric Railroad Company, build from Webb City to Oronogo, Neck City, Purcell, and Alba, all in Missouri.[1] However, it had come to understand that the lightly-built trackage which was appropriate when the railway was founded was becoming obsolete in the face of the demands of the booming Tri-state mining area.[1] Thus the line began not only rebuilding trackage in a more substantial manner, and double-tracking in places, but also deciding to become a full-fledged common-carrier railroad rather than just a streetcar line.[1] So in that year, the company was rechartered as the Southwest Missouri Railroad Company, taking over the assets of both the Southwest Missouri Electric Railway Company and the Webb City Northern Electric Railroad Company.[1] Nevertheless, its focus remained on passenger service, believing other railways adequately covered the freight needs of the area.[1]
At its maximum, the line had about 94 miles of track.[3]Carthage, Missouri was added from Webb City; and, as the center of the mining activity shifted westward toward Oklahoma, the railroad put in a branch to Picher, Oklahoma.[2] But competition from vehicles on the advancing hard-surface roads took away passengers, and by 1924 it was primarily a freight carrier, with its mainline then running from Carthage, Missouri through southern Kansas to Picher, Oklahoma.[4][5] The railway had a GE 50-ton electric locomotive in use by that point.[4] Line abandonments continued to occur, and by 1939 the line, in receivership (as it had been for some years), was down to a 5.556-mile mainline from Baxter Springs, Kansas to Picher used for regular freight service, and 4.17 miles of sidetracks.[5] That year, sale was made of substantially all the assets of the company to the Northeast Oklahoma Railroad, giving that line three additional interchange points, being with the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway at Hockerville, Oklahoma, and with both the Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway and the Kansas City Southern Railway at Baxter Springs. The Southwest Missouri Railroad Company ceased all rail operations by May 31, 1939.[6]
Legacyedit
The railroad’s depot in Webb City is still standing.[7]
Referencesedit
^ abcdef"The Southwest Missouri Railroad Company". Electric Railway Review, September 1906, pp. 543-548. 1906. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
^ abcde"R52 Southwest Missouri Railroad Company. Records, 1892-1941. 5 volumes, 1 folder" (PDF). State Historical Society of Missouri. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
^ ab"Southwest Missouri Electric Railway Company, 1889-1939". S.W. Mo. Elec. Ry. Asso., Inc. (Marker, accessed on The Historical Marker Database). Retrieved October 29, 2021.
^ ab"The Southwest Missouri Railroad Company, Complainant, versus The Northeast Oklahoma Railroad Company, Defendant". Eighteenth Annual Report of the Corporation Commission of the State of Oklahoma for the year ending June 30, 1925, pp.633-635. 1925. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
^ ab"Northeast Oklahoma Railroad Company Acquisition". Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission, Volume 230, September 1938-March 1939, pp.774-776. 1938. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
^"The Southwest Missouri Railroad Company (Abandonment)" (PDF). General Counsel, Wage and Service Records, August 5, 1940 (accessed on GovInfo.gov). Retrieved October 29, 2021.
^"Southwest Missouri Electric Railway Prosperity Junction Station – Webb City, Missouri". Waymarking.com. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
October 28, 2023
southwest, missouri, railroad, company, rail, carrier, state, mining, region, southwestern, missouri, southeastern, kansas, northeastern, oklahoma, outgrowth, passenger, streetcar, lines, with, miles, track, became, smaller, full, fledged, electric, freight, r. The Southwest Missouri Railroad Company was a rail carrier in the tri state mining region of southwestern Missouri southeastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma An outgrowth of passenger streetcar lines with 94 miles of track it became a smaller but full fledged electric freight railway by the time it ceased operations effective May 31 1939 Southwest Missouri Railroad CompanyOverviewHeadquartersWebb City MissouriLocaleMissouri Kansas amp OklahomaDates of operation1889 1939TechnicalTrack gauge4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm Length94 mi 151 km History editThe beginnings of the railroad were as the Twin City Railway Company a horsecar line elsewhere called a mule road 1 between Webb City Missouri and Carterville Missouri organized by A H Rogers in 1889 2 That in turn was absorbed in 1892 by the Southwest Missouri Electric Railway Company of which Rogers was named President 2 That electrified line was in operation by 1893 between the mining camps at Webb City where the railroad was headquartered and Joplin Missouri 2 3 The line added Carterville and Prosperity Missouri and also expanded its road by purchase of other lines namely the Joplin amp Galena Electric Railway and the Jasper County Electric Railway in 1896 2 The year 1906 was pivotal to the company It continued to expand extending its line to Galena Kansas and having a subsidiary the Webb City Northern Electric Railroad Company build from Webb City to Oronogo Neck City Purcell and Alba all in Missouri 1 However it had come to understand that the lightly built trackage which was appropriate when the railway was founded was becoming obsolete in the face of the demands of the booming Tri state mining area 1 Thus the line began not only rebuilding trackage in a more substantial manner and double tracking in places but also deciding to become a full fledged common carrier railroad rather than just a streetcar line 1 So in that year the company was rechartered as the Southwest Missouri Railroad Company taking over the assets of both the Southwest Missouri Electric Railway Company and the Webb City Northern Electric Railroad Company 1 Nevertheless its focus remained on passenger service believing other railways adequately covered the freight needs of the area 1 At its maximum the line had about 94 miles of track 3 Carthage Missouri was added from Webb City and as the center of the mining activity shifted westward toward Oklahoma the railroad put in a branch to Picher Oklahoma 2 But competition from vehicles on the advancing hard surface roads took away passengers and by 1924 it was primarily a freight carrier with its mainline then running from Carthage Missouri through southern Kansas to Picher Oklahoma 4 5 The railway had a GE 50 ton electric locomotive in use by that point 4 Line abandonments continued to occur and by 1939 the line in receivership as it had been for some years was down to a 5 556 mile mainline from Baxter Springs Kansas to Picher used for regular freight service and 4 17 miles of sidetracks 5 That year sale was made of substantially all the assets of the company to the Northeast Oklahoma Railroad giving that line three additional interchange points being with the St Louis San Francisco Railway at Hockerville Oklahoma and with both the Kansas Oklahoma and Gulf Railway and the Kansas City Southern Railway at Baxter Springs The Southwest Missouri Railroad Company ceased all rail operations by May 31 1939 6 Legacy editThe railroad s depot in Webb City is still standing 7 References edit a b c d e f The Southwest Missouri Railroad Company Electric Railway Review September 1906 pp 543 548 1906 Retrieved October 28 2021 a b c d e R52 Southwest Missouri Railroad Company Records 1892 1941 5 volumes 1 folder PDF State Historical Society of Missouri Retrieved October 29 2021 a b Southwest Missouri Electric Railway Company 1889 1939 S W Mo Elec Ry Asso Inc Marker accessed on The Historical Marker Database Retrieved October 29 2021 a b The Southwest Missouri Railroad Company Complainant versus The Northeast Oklahoma Railroad Company Defendant Eighteenth Annual Report of the Corporation Commission of the State of Oklahoma for the year ending June 30 1925 pp 633 635 1925 Retrieved October 29 2021 a b Northeast Oklahoma Railroad Company Acquisition Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission Volume 230 September 1938 March 1939 pp 774 776 1938 Retrieved October 28 2021 The Southwest Missouri Railroad Company Abandonment PDF General Counsel Wage and Service Records August 5 1940 accessed on GovInfo gov Retrieved October 29 2021 Southwest Missouri Electric Railway Prosperity Junction Station Webb City Missouri Waymarking com Retrieved October 29 2021 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Southwest Missouri Railroad Company amp oldid 1177988768, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
