Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf Railroad: Map, Roster, History

Published: January 17, 2025

The Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf (FC&G) was one of several notable short lines built by Deep South lumber interests to handled primarily timber-based traffic.

Names like the Louisiana & North West; North Louisiana & Gulf; Ashley, Drew & Northern; and Bonhomie & Hattiesburg Southern could be found throughout this region of the U.S.

However, as notable author David Price once pointed out the FC&G's purpose waned as rail transport declined in the post-World War II. He states:

"The FC&G was in reality a very typical and not-too-significant shortline by nationwide railroad standards. Yet for many years it provided needed and more-or-less efficient transportation necessary for economic development in a rural area.

In latter years of operation one could count on seeing well maintained locomotives and caboose and light iron well aligned and in good repair snaking over undulating grades and through colorful, red clay cuts through the hills."

By the 1960s the FC&G - still a family-owned operation - was subsisting primarily on bridge traffic alone thanks to its connections with the Illinois Central at Fernwood and the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio at Tylertown and Foxworth.

With the merger of these two roads in 1972 this traffic vanished and the short line's purpose ceased. The Enochs family sold out to the newly formed Illinois Central Gulf and the large Class 1 promptly abandoned most of the FC&G soonafterwards. Today, few traces of this 44-mile short line remain.

Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf SW900 #900, acquired new by the railroad, at the railroad's small engine facility Fernwood, Mississippi in May, 1972. Warren Calloway photo.

History

Incorporated on March 31, 1906, the Fernwood & Gulf Railroad was established by the Enochs family, who owned the expansive Fernwood Lumber Company - at one time the South's largest such operation.

Following a trend among Southern lumber companies, Fernwood Lumber separated its main line logging railroad into a common carrier.

As a result, the Fernwood & Gulf Railroad was officially incorporated on March 31, 1906, under Mississippi law. Its purpose was to serve the company mill at Fernwood and ship out finished products to the Illinois Central.

Initially, the road stretched from Tylertown, Mississippi to Fernwood (20.3 miles). While the main line was operated by the Fernwood & Gulf as a common-carrier, branches and extensions were kept within the Fernwood Lumber's private operations.

In 1907, the Bogue Chitto Branch of the New Orleans Great Northern (later Gulf, Mobile & Northern/Gulf, Mobile & Ohio) connected to Tylertown from Rio, Louisiana, offering an eastern interchange.

Continuing its eastward expansion, Fernwood Lumber finished an extension from Tylertown to Kokomo, 11.59 miles, in December 1910 and set up a main lumber camp there. This section was soon transferred to the F&G.

System Map

A system map from 1920 of the Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf. American-Rails.com collection.

Later, the short line embarked on its last independent eastward expansion to reach the NOGN main line at Foxworth in fall 1919, which added 9.55 miles from Kokomo. This completed their main line of 41.44 miles, which remained unchanged for over fifty years.

On May 1, 1920, the F&G was renamed as the Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf Railroad reflecting the additional town the system served. Simultaneously, they secured track rights from the NOGN to access Columbia, Mississippi via a 2.68-mile branch, including use of the NOGN's bridge over the Pearl River at Columbia.

The FC&G built a station and 0.36 miles of terminal tracks in Columbia. Over the ensuing years, they considered extending eastward to Hattiesburg, especially after the Enochs family, who owned both Fernwood Lumber and the FC&G, acquired the Bonhomie & Hattiesburg Southern.

This new venture ran 27 miles from Hattiesburg to connect with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio at Beaumont. However, the planned Columbia-Hattiesburg extension never materialized.

Passenger Operations

Like most such operations, the FC&G did not have extensive passenger service but did provide it as a common-carrier requirement. To reduce the costs of this service the short line acquired a Model 30 gasoline powered railbus from J.G. Brill numbered M-1.

Its success prompted the addition of Number M-3 in 1936. This unit, powered by a Ford V-8 and built by Kalamazoo, was soon succeeded by M-4. Gasoline rail buses quickly became a familiar scene, remembered fondly by those who lived along the tracks and utilized their services.

Steam Roster

Number	Type/Wheel Arrangement	Builder	Serial Number	Completion Date	Heritage
84	Shay (7 ton, 2-truck), 30-inch	Lima	84	8/1883	I.C. Enochs #84 (Magnolia, MS)
2	0-6-0T, 30-inch	Porter	1214	9/1890	Enochs Brothers #2 (Magnolia, MS)
3	Shay (20 ton, 2-truck)	Lima	411	9/1892	Acquired new.
4	Shay (20 ton, 2-truck)	Lima	405	8/1892	Morning Mining & Milling Company #1 (Mullan, ID).
5	Shay (65 ton, 3-truck)	Lima	856	1904	Acquired new.
6	Shay (65 ton, 3-truck)	Lima	881	1904	Acquired new.
7	4-6-0	Baldwin	2735	3/1872	Built as PRR #532. Acquired by Fernwood Lumber in 11/1904.
8	2-8-0	Altoona (PRR)	408	1879	Built as PRR #99/#372. Became Fernwood & Gulf #8 on 10/31/1904.
9	2-6-0	Baldwin	6101	3/1882	Built as Terre Haute & Indianapolis #46. Acquired by Fernwood Lumber as #9 on 1/1907.
10<	2-6-0	Baldwin	34399	1910	Acquired new.
11	2-8-0	Baldwin	36000	1911	Acquired new.
12	2-8-0	Baldwin	37578	1912	Acquired new.
13<	2-8-2	Baldwin	40734	1913	Acquired new.
14	4-6-0	Brooks	2412	1894	Built as Buffalo & Susquehanna #109. Acquired in 9/1917.
14	4-6-0	Brooks	3557	1900	Built as Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh #187. Acquired on 11/30/1921.
15	4-4-2	Baldwin	19046	1901	Built as Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh #161. Acquired by Fernwood & Gulf on 12/19/1919.
16	Shay (80 ton, 3-truck)	Lima	3096	1920	Acquired new.
17	4-6-0	Brooks	3557	1900	Acquired new.

Diesel Roster

Number	Model Type	Builder	Serial Number	Completion Date	Notes
D-1	44 ton	GE	18195	3/30/1945	Acquired new.
D-2	44 ton	GE	18196	3/30/1945	Acquired new.
D-3	44 ton	GE	18197	4/6/1945	Acquired new.
D-4	44 ton	GE	28347	4/26/1947	Acquired new.
D-5	44 ton	GE	15030	11/1941	ex-New York, Ontario & Western #103; acquired in 8/1950
D-6	44 ton	GE	15029	12/1941	ex-Mississippi Export #47
600	SW1	EMD	1398	9/30/1941	ex-Elgin, Joliet & Eastern RR #240; acquired on 6/11/1959
900	SW900	EMD	23298	4/1957	Acquired new.

Timetable (1930)

A 1930 timetable of the Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf. American-Rails.com collection.

On September 1, 1972, the FC&G became part of the newly formed Illinois Central Gulf, which later abandoned the line in segments, with the last section being dismantled by the early 1980s. Nowadays, only scant traces remain of where the FC&G once traversed.