Overview | |
---|---|
Headquarters | Wichita Falls, Texas |
Locale | Oklahoma and Texas |
Dates of operation | 1910–1969 |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
Length | 359.3 mi (578.2 km) |
The Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway, its affiliate the Northwestern Railway Company of Texas, and two subsidiaries collectively constructed a railway running from Wichita Falls, Texas through Altus, Oklahoma to Forgan, Oklahoma, with a branch running from Altus to Wellington, Texas. [1] The network comprised 359.3 miles of track, and was collectively known as the Wichita Falls Route. [1]
The original plan was for a line extending north from Wichita Falls through Indian Territory to Englewood, Kansas. [1] Toward that goal, two companies were chartered: the Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway Company of Texas on September 26, 1906, to construct the seventeen-mile stretch from Wichita Falls to the Red River, and a few days later the Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway Company to do the rest. [1] However, plans changed and the northern segment was redirected to Frederick, Altus, Elk City, and on to Forgan in the Oklahoma Panhandle. [1]
The directors also decided on a branch going west from Altus to Wellington in the Texas Panhandle. [1] That branch was to be built by subsidiaries of the Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway. [2] The Wichita Falls and Wellington Railway Company of Texas constructed the portion in Texas, and the Altus, Wichita Falls and Hollis Railway Company did the Oklahoma portion. [2]
The trackage to Altus, both from Wellington and from Wichita Falls, was completed in 1910. [1] [2] [3] The continuation to Forgan was finished in 1912. [2]
The stock of all the companies was acquired by the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway (MKT) system in 1911. [1] The Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway was merged into the MKT in 1923, with the Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway Company of Texas following in 1969. [1] The Wellington branch was merely leased by an MKT affiliate until that trackage was abandoned in 1958. [2]
The remaining line to Forgan was cut back to Altus in 1973, leaving approximately 77 miles of trackage from Wichita Falls to Altus. [1] In June 1982, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) acquired the 61.02 miles of trackage between Altus and the Oklahoma/Texas state line, [4] while the UP ended up with the line from the border to Wichita Falls. [5] In early 1991, the Wichita, Tillman and Jackson Railway (WTJR), a brand new company, separately leased both segments of the line. [5] [4] and started service January 14, 1991. [6] The Lease on the Union Pacific segment was renewed in 2010, and again in 2016 for 10 years. [5] The Oklahoma segment was purchased by WTJR from ODOT around the end of 2010. [4]
Overview | |
---|---|
Headquarters | Wichita Falls, Texas |
Locale | Oklahoma and Texas |
Dates of operation | 1910–1969 |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
Length | 359.3 mi (578.2 km) |
The Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway, its affiliate the Northwestern Railway Company of Texas, and two subsidiaries collectively constructed a railway running from Wichita Falls, Texas through Altus, Oklahoma to Forgan, Oklahoma, with a branch running from Altus to Wellington, Texas. [1] The network comprised 359.3 miles of track, and was collectively known as the Wichita Falls Route. [1]
The original plan was for a line extending north from Wichita Falls through Indian Territory to Englewood, Kansas. [1] Toward that goal, two companies were chartered: the Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway Company of Texas on September 26, 1906, to construct the seventeen-mile stretch from Wichita Falls to the Red River, and a few days later the Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway Company to do the rest. [1] However, plans changed and the northern segment was redirected to Frederick, Altus, Elk City, and on to Forgan in the Oklahoma Panhandle. [1]
The directors also decided on a branch going west from Altus to Wellington in the Texas Panhandle. [1] That branch was to be built by subsidiaries of the Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway. [2] The Wichita Falls and Wellington Railway Company of Texas constructed the portion in Texas, and the Altus, Wichita Falls and Hollis Railway Company did the Oklahoma portion. [2]
The trackage to Altus, both from Wellington and from Wichita Falls, was completed in 1910. [1] [2] [3] The continuation to Forgan was finished in 1912. [2]
The stock of all the companies was acquired by the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway (MKT) system in 1911. [1] The Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway was merged into the MKT in 1923, with the Wichita Falls and Northwestern Railway Company of Texas following in 1969. [1] The Wellington branch was merely leased by an MKT affiliate until that trackage was abandoned in 1958. [2]
The remaining line to Forgan was cut back to Altus in 1973, leaving approximately 77 miles of trackage from Wichita Falls to Altus. [1] In June 1982, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) acquired the 61.02 miles of trackage between Altus and the Oklahoma/Texas state line, [4] while the UP ended up with the line from the border to Wichita Falls. [5] In early 1991, the Wichita, Tillman and Jackson Railway (WTJR), a brand new company, separately leased both segments of the line. [5] [4] and started service January 14, 1991. [6] The Lease on the Union Pacific segment was renewed in 2010, and again in 2016 for 10 years. [5] The Oklahoma segment was purchased by WTJR from ODOT around the end of 2010. [4]