The Santa Fe Silsbee Network
1969-1973
ATSF Silsbee lines to Conroe, Beaumont, DeRidder, and Longview
Photographs by Steve Patterson
ATSF Silsbee lines to Conroe, Beaumont, DeRidder, and Longview
Photographs by Steve Patterson
Overview of Santa Fe's Silsbee Operations by Steve Patterson
Santa Fe’s extension through East Texas was very lucrative for the company, but any shipper’s carloads were at a disadvantage unless they were destined to the west. Let’s explain:
Take Texas Eastman Chemicals at Longview as first example — any shipment of their’s going north, say to Kansas City or Chicago, ATSF had to take it all the way around through Silsbee and Somerville before we could ever head it northward — losing perhaps two days transit, say compared to giving the business at Longview to the MoPac, or hauling it only as far as Tenaha to hand over to the SP (who zipped it northward on the SSW). Chemicals command the highest freight rates, as you may know.
Other prime revenue sources for ATSF were the paper plants — at DeRidder, La., and Calcasieu Paper at Evadale (Buna). We hauled carloads and carloads of newsprint and other paper out of DeRidder, mostly going northbound, but KCS had a direct route north right out of DeRidder, topping any schedule we could offer. Seems there was another paper plant or two that I am forgetting…. Elizabeth, La.? But we, nonetheless, hauled tons of paper out of East Texas in those sliding underframe center sill big red box cars.
As an aside note, guess what happened as soon the mighty Union Pacific took over the MoPac? Under the "MoPac banner,” UP rapidly built a 14-mile branch line from the MoPac up to the Calcasieu Paper plant at Evadale and began eating ATSF’s long-held monopoly.
Especially while ATSF owned it, another big customer was Kirby Lumber Co. Outbound loads of finished lumber going to hungry housing markets. That was also in the big red box cars. I sent Jimmy Barlow photos of rack flat cars getting loaded with long logs (for lumber) at Bronson. San Augustine and Center had plywood factories as I recall. Lowest on the revenue chain were carloads of pulpwood — going to the paper plants.
Another stable revenue for ATSF was grain — primarily going to export. Many grain trains from the grain-growing states traveled over to Beaumont where ships were loaded — almost as much as what moved to Houston and Galveston for export. In the not-so-distant past, it was hundreds of 40-ft. box cars. In latter days, and like now, it was all 100-ton mineral-red covered hoppers.
Handling all those cars was the division car distributor at Temple — he had a staff of two besides himself. And yes, Silsbee was the marshaling yard for most of them.
When ATSF began closing lonely agencies, their duties passed on to the larger station forces, such as Houston, Beaumont and Temple. When those were eventually closed too, agency duties were handled out of Fort Worth. And then finally down to one I believe — Kansas City, Mo. (Was some of it handled out of Topeka?) Taking care of billing, (waybilling), freight charges and claims, car distribution, everything. Now that it is BNSF, all system duties are handled out of Fort Worth, except payroll and crew calling — that’s handled out of Topeka.
I hope this gives you a few ideas how the ol’ Santa Fe operated in E. Texas and Louisiana. When I first went to that territory, it was two streaks of rust laying in the mud. We had derailments and more derailments out the wazoo because of pathetic track. Finally, funds from Chicago were approved to raise the track out of the mud and install welded rail on top of much needed, plentiful ballast. Long after I left the territory, parts of the ol’ East Texas lines were spun off / sold off. Now BNSF is trying to reacquire some of it?
Take Texas Eastman Chemicals at Longview as first example — any shipment of their’s going north, say to Kansas City or Chicago, ATSF had to take it all the way around through Silsbee and Somerville before we could ever head it northward — losing perhaps two days transit, say compared to giving the business at Longview to the MoPac, or hauling it only as far as Tenaha to hand over to the SP (who zipped it northward on the SSW). Chemicals command the highest freight rates, as you may know.
Other prime revenue sources for ATSF were the paper plants — at DeRidder, La., and Calcasieu Paper at Evadale (Buna). We hauled carloads and carloads of newsprint and other paper out of DeRidder, mostly going northbound, but KCS had a direct route north right out of DeRidder, topping any schedule we could offer. Seems there was another paper plant or two that I am forgetting…. Elizabeth, La.? But we, nonetheless, hauled tons of paper out of East Texas in those sliding underframe center sill big red box cars.
As an aside note, guess what happened as soon the mighty Union Pacific took over the MoPac? Under the "MoPac banner,” UP rapidly built a 14-mile branch line from the MoPac up to the Calcasieu Paper plant at Evadale and began eating ATSF’s long-held monopoly.
Especially while ATSF owned it, another big customer was Kirby Lumber Co. Outbound loads of finished lumber going to hungry housing markets. That was also in the big red box cars. I sent Jimmy Barlow photos of rack flat cars getting loaded with long logs (for lumber) at Bronson. San Augustine and Center had plywood factories as I recall. Lowest on the revenue chain were carloads of pulpwood — going to the paper plants.
Another stable revenue for ATSF was grain — primarily going to export. Many grain trains from the grain-growing states traveled over to Beaumont where ships were loaded — almost as much as what moved to Houston and Galveston for export. In the not-so-distant past, it was hundreds of 40-ft. box cars. In latter days, and like now, it was all 100-ton mineral-red covered hoppers.
Handling all those cars was the division car distributor at Temple — he had a staff of two besides himself. And yes, Silsbee was the marshaling yard for most of them.
When ATSF began closing lonely agencies, their duties passed on to the larger station forces, such as Houston, Beaumont and Temple. When those were eventually closed too, agency duties were handled out of Fort Worth. And then finally down to one I believe — Kansas City, Mo. (Was some of it handled out of Topeka?) Taking care of billing, (waybilling), freight charges and claims, car distribution, everything. Now that it is BNSF, all system duties are handled out of Fort Worth, except payroll and crew calling — that’s handled out of Topeka.
I hope this gives you a few ideas how the ol’ Santa Fe operated in E. Texas and Louisiana. When I first went to that territory, it was two streaks of rust laying in the mud. We had derailments and more derailments out the wazoo because of pathetic track. Finally, funds from Chicago were approved to raise the track out of the mud and install welded rail on top of much needed, plentiful ballast. Long after I left the territory, parts of the ol’ East Texas lines were spun off / sold off. Now BNSF is trying to reacquire some of it?
WebMaster's Notes
Growing up in New Orleans, LA I had very little first-hand exposure to the Santa Fe. For me the Santa Fe was an exotic railroad, almost mythical, that I only saw in books, magazines, and videos. As I got older I would plan extensive trips to see the Santa Fe at various locations. Often these trips included time at a Santa Fe Modelers Organization convention. For many years, the Santa Fe did live up to its reputation of excellence for me.
At some point I discovered Silsbee, TX. This town could actually be driven to from New Orleans in a single day. Traveling through the south Louisiana swamp and west Louisiana pines that melded with the east Texas pine forest yielded Silsbee! This town was a little Santa Fe oasis that was within reach.
Silsbee was a small-yet-busy terminal with a locomotive facility and a small yard. From Silsbee, the railroad radiated out in all directions: Westward to Conroe, TX and connection with the rest of the Santa Fe, Northward to Longview, Texas, Southward to Beaumont, TX and...most importantly...Eastward to DeRidder, Louisiana. Yes, the Santa Fe did have rails in Louisiana. Not plentiful and seldom photographed, Santa Fe trains entering Louisiana to serve Boise Cascade were launched from Silsbee.
Steve Patterson has enjoyed a diverse career with the Santa Fe which landed him in this forgotten corner of the Santa Fe empire around 1969. He supervised 44 open agencies on ATSF’s Southern Division (everything south of Cleburne). During his tenure the Santa Fe began to close little-used or redundant agencies. I was forwarded some of his images from the area and reached out to him with a request to host some of them here. Mr. Patterson graciously agreed and shared the images on the above slideshow!
This piece of railroad is relevant here as I have penned the entire Silsbee network into my proto-freelanced Texas & Great Northern Railroad. It is a wonderful fit!
CMP
At some point I discovered Silsbee, TX. This town could actually be driven to from New Orleans in a single day. Traveling through the south Louisiana swamp and west Louisiana pines that melded with the east Texas pine forest yielded Silsbee! This town was a little Santa Fe oasis that was within reach.
Silsbee was a small-yet-busy terminal with a locomotive facility and a small yard. From Silsbee, the railroad radiated out in all directions: Westward to Conroe, TX and connection with the rest of the Santa Fe, Northward to Longview, Texas, Southward to Beaumont, TX and...most importantly...Eastward to DeRidder, Louisiana. Yes, the Santa Fe did have rails in Louisiana. Not plentiful and seldom photographed, Santa Fe trains entering Louisiana to serve Boise Cascade were launched from Silsbee.
Steve Patterson has enjoyed a diverse career with the Santa Fe which landed him in this forgotten corner of the Santa Fe empire around 1969. He supervised 44 open agencies on ATSF’s Southern Division (everything south of Cleburne). During his tenure the Santa Fe began to close little-used or redundant agencies. I was forwarded some of his images from the area and reached out to him with a request to host some of them here. Mr. Patterson graciously agreed and shared the images on the above slideshow!
This piece of railroad is relevant here as I have penned the entire Silsbee network into my proto-freelanced Texas & Great Northern Railroad. It is a wonderful fit!
CMP
To view notes and caption information for Steve Patterson's images in this slideshow, click the button below!
