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Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf Railroad: "The Pine Leaf Route"

Published: January 17, 2025

By: Adam Burns

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.

12717248719217258719561235981398515.jpgFernwood, 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

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)

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.

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