Mississippi Central Railroad
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| Mississippi Central Railroad (original) | |
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| Reporting marks | (N/A) |
| Locale | Canton, Mississippi to Jackson, Tennessee |
| Dates of operation | 1852 – 1878 |
| Successor line | Illinois Central Railroad |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge)5 foot gage of unknown type and weight |
| Headquarters | |
| Mississippi Central Railroad (2nd) | |
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| Reporting marks | MIS |
| Locale | south Mississippi |
| Dates of operation | 1897 – 1967 |
| Successor line | Illinois Central Gulf |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | |
| Mississippi Central Railroad (current) | |
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| Reporting marks | MSCI |
| Locale | Oxford, Mississippi |
| Dates of operation | 1992 – |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Peoria, Illinois (corporate) Holly Springs, Mississippi (operating) |
Mississippi Central Railroad is the historical designation used by several railroads operating in the U.S. states of Mississippi and Tennessee during different eras.
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[edit] Historic Lines
The original Mississippi Central line was chartered in 1852. Construction began in 1853 and the line was completed in 1860, just prior to the Civil War, from Canton, Mississippi to Jackson, Tennessee.[1] The southern terminus of the line connected to the New Orleans, Jackson & Great Northern Railroad at Canton. It also connected to the Memphis & Charleston Railroad at Grand Junction, Tennessee and the Mobile & Ohio Railroad at Jackson, Tennessee. The Mississippi Central was the scene of several military actions from 1862 - 1863 and was severely damaged during the fighting.[2] Company president, Absolom M. West succeeded in repairing the damage and returning it to operating condition soon after the end of the War. The original Mississippi Central line was merged into the Illinois Central Railroad in several transactions finally completed in 1878.[3]
Another company by this name was started in 1897 as the Pearl and Leaf Rivers Railroad. This line was built by the J.J. Newman Lumber Company from Hattiesburg, to Sumrall.
In 1905 this company's name was changed to the Mississippi Central. In 1906 a company was formed to build a rail line from Natchez to Brookhaven. In 1909 this line was absorbed by the Mississippi Central.
For a short time during the 1920s, the line operated a service named "The Natchez Route", running trains from Natchez to Mobile, Alabama through trackage agreements with the Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad. At Natchez, freight cars were ferried across the Mississippi River to connect with the Louisiana and Arkansas Railway to institute through traffic into Shreveport, Louisiana.
On March 29, 1967 the Mississippi Central was sold to the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad.
[edit] Current Mississippi Central Railroad
The Mississippi Central name was resurrected in the northern part of the state by Pioneer Railcorp when it purchased the former Natchez Trace Railroad from Kyle Railways. The line runs from Oxford to Grand Junction, Tennessee, for a length of 51 miles.
