Bevier and Southern Railroad

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Bevier and Southern Railroad (AAR reporting marks BVS) was a United States railroad that existed from September 26, 1914, when the Missouri and Louisiana Railroad divided (the Louisiana portion of it becoming the BVS), until 1982 when the railroad went out of business and was abandoned. The railroad was measured 9.18 miles and ran from a connection with the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, which was Burlington Northern at the time B&S abandoned in 1982, just west of Bevier, Missouri and ran south to Binkley, Missouri. Primary traffic along the line was outbound coal from coal mines in the area and the railroad's slogan was "Have Train Will Haul."

[edit] History

On September 26, 1914 the Bevier and Southern Railroad came into existence. The Missouri and Louisiana Railroad divided and the Louisiana portion of the railroad became the Bevier and Southern Railroad.

For many years the Bevier and Southern operated daily passenger trains, two round trips daily. Mail and passenger train service was discontinued in 1926 after post offices at Ardmore and Keota closed.

The usual passenger train consisted of seven miners' cars and coach number 204. Depleted mines and raw veins caused track changes. In 1943 it was necessary to construct additional tracks to serve new pits at Southern mines. In 1915, the Bevier and Southern had as much as 63 miles of operational track, but in 1961 it only operated the 9.18 miles between Bevier and Binkley until it's abandonment in 1982.

In 1943, elctric-powered trains began operation on the line, but the trains were short lived. One severe grade between Ardmore and Southern mines resulted in frequent burnouts of traction motors. The electric operations were discontinued after two years use.

The Bevier and Southern had general offices in Bevier; 43 regular employees with an annual pay roll amounting to $135,000. The Bevier and Southern railroad was very important to many people. Sometimes kids would ride the train to town so they could go to public schools. When It was time to go home, they would walk down to the train station and wait for the train home. Many people relied on the B&S not only for transportation, but also for jobs and to ship coal out that was mined in Bevier.

After the railroad was abandoned in 1982, it was reopened in the late 1990s under the ownership of the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad, now known as BNSF Railway. BNSF expanded and rebuilt the railroad so it could serve a coal-fired power plant at the Thomas Hill Reservoir. The new line is approximately 25 miles long and is still in use today.