Sand Springs Railway

The Sand Springs Railway (reporting mark SS) is a class III railroad operating in Oklahoma.

It provides freight rail service between Sand Springs and Tulsa over a 32 mile route. The company primarily hauls steel, pulp, scrap iron, scrap paper, petroleum products, plastic, and lumber. It interchanges with the Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway and the South Kansas Oklahoma Railroad.^[1]

History

The Sand Springs Railway was founded by Charles Page and incorporated on February 6, 1911. It began service between Tulsa and Sand Springs on 8.6 miles of track that May. Passenger service was initially provided by two gasoline-engine rail cars, which were soon replaced by electric trolleys.^[2] The Tulsa passenger terminal was at the corner of Archer Street and Boston Avenue.^[3]

The railroad was powered by electricity until 1955, when it discontinued passenger service and changed over to diesel locomotives as a freight line. At that time, it was the last interurban operating in Oklahoma.^[2] The railroad was acquired by HMK Incorporated in 1987. In 1993, it was bought by Sheffield Steel, which declared bankruptcy. The railroad was then was bought by Gerdau Ameristeel in 2006. Operations ceased in 2009 for a two-year planned shutdown.^[1]

Reference

1. ^ ^{a b} Short Linr Railroad Directory. "Sand Springs Railway Company SS #707." Retrieved January 2, 2012.[1]
2. ^ ^{a b} Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, "Sand Springs" Accessed May 6, 2011.[2]
3. ^ Bates, Michael. Bates Line. "Greenwood's streetcar: The Sand Springs Railroad." December 18, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2008.[3]