There were a number of different railroads that had "Rio Grande" in their name. On October 1, 1866, the State of Texas granted a charter for the Rio Grande Railroad. However this one was never built .The next "Rio Grande Railroad" in Texas was organized by Simón Celaya of Brownsville, Texas in 1870 and opened as a 22.5-mile narrow-gauge line connecting Point Isabel and Brownsville on July 4, 1872. The railroad also operated steam and sail lighters (boats for transferring cargo in shallow water) from its quarter-mile-long wharf at Point Isabel to the Brazos Santiago harbor, a distance of three miles. It initially carried much of the commerce destined for northern Mexico. However, the completion of other railroads to Laredo diverted much of this traffic, and for many years the Rio Grande only operated a daily mixed train between the two cities to carry freight, passengers, mail, and express shipments. In 1892 the Rio Grande reported passenger earnings of $3,000 and freight earnings of $73,000. The railroad owned three locomotives and fifty-six cars. The Rio Grande was the only railroad in Texas and one of the few in the United States to be built to a track gauge of forty-two inches. Its route was relatively direct from Brownsville to the coast but required fifteen bridges, including a 15,550-foot trestle across the Badilla Grande. The track through the low coastal marshland made the Rio Grande vulnerable to hurricanes and floods, from which the railroad suffered considerable damage on several occasions. The company defaulted on its bonds and in 1910 was reorganized as the Rio Grande Railway Company. It came under the control of the St. Louis and San Francisco but was returned to local ownership in 1914. It acquired two gasoline rail cars for freight and passenger service in 1918, one of them purchased from the Sugar Land Railroad. It was a Brill that was re-gauged. These provided all of the service on the railroad from that time until the line was converted to standard gauge. The narrow-gauge steam locomotives of the Rio Grande had burned mesquite as fuel and they also used the same wood for cross ties. In 1921 the railroad moved its track from about eight miles south of Brownsville to Point Isabel. The new line was built on higher ground east of the original route and increased the mileage between the two terminals to 26.3 miles. In 1925 the company converted to standard gauge. However, the railroad was unable to pay the conversion costs, and after bankruptcy was reorganized in 1928 as the Port Isabel and Rio Grande Valley Railway, which was under the control of the Port Isabel Company.
NS 1070 South by the searchlight signals at Cotter. NS 1070 South over the Crooked Creek Trestle near Washington, IA. January 28, 2021 Most people get drunk, others want sex but as for me, I go Railfanning.
Continuing on the subject of the Rio Grande RR in Texas. While visiting Port Isabel a few years ago, I found this plaque outside a restaurant. The information on it is somewhat inaccurate. It may have been the first railroad in far south Texas but there were many railroads built and operating in and around the Houston area before the Civil war in the 1860s. Not to mention the "many" railroads in the United States.
If you change it to "RGRR began in 1870 as the only NARROW GAUGE railroad in Texas and one of the few in the United States.", it would be correct.
Foreign Power February? Sure, let's go with that. Former NS GP38 high hood and a CSX unit hanging out around the Minot CP yard: CMQ roamer roamed into Minot late last night on CP 498: And a CN unit on a CP 499 as DPU:
Two takes on a BNSF Chicago-Seattle Z at Gassman Coulee; if you look closely at the east end of the bridge, the deck is being replaced and the handrails show the difference:
A Union Switch & Signal PRR position light dwarf signal displays a stop indication at Hudson, OH. [July 1976] Ten years after this shot was taken, I met my wife and on our first trip into former PRR territory, she called these "Gumby" signals because their shape somewhat matched Gumby's head.
I have no information on this photo of a railroad bridge being constructed. Probably taken in the 1930s. I think is see a genuine "STEAM" roller. The shovel in the foreground may also be steam powered.
That is neat! Another color shot from way back. I wonder if it's still there. Pretty modern architecture on the building way to the right. Doug
I doubt if either are steam powered. I don't see stacks. I'm guessing early diesel power due to the large flywheel in the shovel engine compartment.
I agree. Both are probably internal combustion. Although I do recall talking about such items as "steam" shovels and "steam" rollers in my youth, which obviously were not...
