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THE ANGELINA
AND NECHES RIVER RAILROAD
An East Texas Short Line Railroad
by John
Troesser
Book
Your Hotel Here & Save
Lufkin
Hotels |
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Most
of the Angelina and Neches River Railroad
TE Photo, October 2001 |
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A
switching locomotive of the A & NR RR
TE Photo, October 2001 |
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The A & NR Railroad
celebrated it's centennial in 2000. It still shuttles between industries
in Lufkin and
the Union Pacific main line. A mural depicting the history
of the railroad can be found (appropriately) at the railroad tracks
- just west of downtown Lufkin.
The Angelina and Neches River Railroad Company was chartered in
August 1900.
It connected Keltys (which is now a part of Lufkin)
with Manton, a town eight miles east. There were plans to
establish peach orchards on cut over timberland in Manton, but these
plans literally failed to bear fruit.
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A
brakeman and locomotive of the A & NR RR
painted by muralist Lance Hunter, 2000
TE Photo, October 2001 |
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The
Angelina County Lumber Company
as portrayed on a mural by Lance Hunter
Downtown Lufkine
TE Photo, October 2001 |
As
early as 1895 the railroad was being used by the Angelina County Lumber
Company as a narrow gauge line. In 1906, after adding some 20 miles
of track, it was converted to standard gauge.
By 1912 the railroad had extended to Chireno
in Nacogdoches County.
In 1916 the railroad owned one locomotive and five cars. They earned
$6,000 that year on passenger traffic while the income from freight
exceeded $40,000. In 1963 21 miles of track between Dunagan and Chireno
was torn up.
In 1972, it owned two locomotives and eleven pieces of rolling stock.
© John Troesser
January 2002 |
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