Quanah, Acme and Pacific Railway

Quanah, Acme and Pacific Railway (QA&P) was a 117-mile (188 km) freight railroad that operated between the Red River and Floydada, Texas, from 1902 until it was merged into the Burlington Northern Railroad in 1981.

History

On May 3, 1902, the railroad line was incorporated as the Acme, Red River and Northern Railway. The founders' original, never-realized plans were to extend the line 500 miles (800 km) from the Red River to El Paso, Texas.[1]

On January 28, 1909, the railroad assumed the name of the Quanah, Acme and Pacific.[1]

In 1911, the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway assumed control of the QA&P.[1]

In 1913, the eight-mile long Motley County Railroad was chartered with money from more than ninety investors. It ran through unfenced ranch lands in Motley County before joining the QA&P at Roaring Springs. This track continued to operate until 1936.[2]

Freight stops on the QA&P were in Red River, Carnes, Quanah, Acme, Lazare, Swearingen, Paducah, Narcisso, Summit (Motley County), Russellville, Roaring Springs, MacBain, Dougherty, Boothe Spur, and Floydada.

On June 8, 1981, the QA&P was merged by owner Burlington Northern Railroad, which had merged the QA&P's corporate parent, the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, on November 21, 1980.[3]

The Burlington Northern Railroad abandoned the former QA&P line west of Paducah in 1982.[3]

Traffic

During its life, the QA&P's traffic consisted of overhead freight—between the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway at Red River and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway at Floydada—and some general commodities.[1] The railroad's traffic was cut back when overhead trade took a shorter route.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Lewis, Edward A.. American Short Line Railway Guide. The Baggage Car. p. 94. 
  2. ^ "The Motley County Railroad", Historical marker, Texas Historical Commission, Motley County, Texas
  3. ^ a b Lewis, Edward A.. American Short Line Railway Guide. Kalmbach Books. p. 233. 
  4. ^ Trains magazine, January 1984, p. 44.