Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railway

The Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railway (December 2, 1879 to May 1, 1901, chartered in 1853 as the Vicksburg, Shreveport, & Texas Railroad Company, with an east to west division[1] to link Vicksburg in western Mississippi, Shreveport in northwestern Louisiana, and various locations to the west.​ ​ The line owned 188 miles of single-track, standard gauge track from Delta Point on the Mississippi River to Lorraine, Louisiana, on the Texas-Louisiana state line.[2] The Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railway came into existence through acquisitions from foreclosures, court rulings, and reorganizations. It was known as the North Louisiana and Texas Railroad from 1868 until 1875, when the railroad went into receivership.

## History[edit]

​ The Confederate Army seized the line in 1862 and in 1863 disassembled a large portion. The Union Army took apart the entire line east of Monroe. Following the American Civil War, the company went into receivership on December 30, 1865, foreclosure on February 5, 1866, and was purchased by the North Louisiana and Texas Railroad Company in 1868.[3]​ ​ The Alabama, New Orleans, Texas, and Pacific Junction Railways Company, Limited, of London, England, acquired the Vicksburg, Shreveport, and Pacific Railroad in 1881 through the Emile Erlanger & Company. The railroad operated until 1926, when it was leased to the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley Railroad. It merged with the Illinois Central on May 29, 1959.[4]​ ​ At one point there were twenty-four stops between Shreveport and Delta Point,[5] but by 1967 there were only twelve depots.[6]​

The tracks between Shreveport and Waskom (formerly spelled "Wascom" in 1917 documents) in Harrison County, Texas, was built by the Vicksburg, Shreveport, & Texas Railroad Company, and leased to the Texas and Pacific Railway in 1862.[7] On September 12, 1882, the T&P completed its own tracks from Waskom to Shreveport.[8]​

In 1993, the Vicksburg, Shreveport, and Pacific Railway became part of Kansas City Southern, under which it remains.

### Timeline[edit]

* Delta Point, Louisiana, (Mississippi River Bridge) to Shreveport​

1. Originally Vicksburg, Shreveport & Texas Railroad (1853-1868)​
2. Formerly North Louisiana & Texas Railroad (1868-1879)​
3. Formerly Vicksburg, Shreveport & Pacific (1879-1926)​
4. Part of Queen & Crescent Route (1889-1926)​
5. Formerly Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Railroad (1926-1946)​
6. Formerly Illinois Central Railroad (1926 - 1972)​
7. Formerly Illinois Central Gulf Railroad (1972-1986)​
8. Formerly Mid-South Railroad (1986-1993)​
9. Currently Kansas City Southern Railroad (1993)​​

* Shreveport to Lorraine ​

1. Originally Vicksburg, Shreveport & Texas Railroad (1853-1868)​
2. Formerly North Louisiana & Texas Railroad (1868-1879)​
3. Formerly Vicksburg, Shreveport & Pacific (1879-1926)​
4. Part of Queen & Crescent Route (1889-1926)​
5. Formerly Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Railroad (1926-1946)​
6. Formerly Illinois Central Railroad (1926-1950s)​
7. Currently abandoned[9]​

## References[edit]

1. ↑ Railroad stations. Retrieved on February 1, 2022.
2. ↑ Lorraine, Louisiana. Google Maps. Retrieved on January 31, 2022.
3. ↑ Vicksburg Shreveport and Texas Railroad. Retrieved on January 31, 2022.
4. ↑ Vicksburg, Shreveport, and Pacific Railroad records (1912-1926). Retrieved on November 22, 2014; no longer accessible on-line.
5. ↑ VS&P depots. Retrieved on November 25, 2014; material no longer accessible on-line.
6. ↑ VS&P depots in 1967. Retrieved on November 25, 2014; material no longer accessible on-line.
7. ↑ Henry Varnum Poor (1917). Poor's Intermediate Manual of Railroads. New York: Poor's Manual Company. Retrieved on January 31, 2022.
8. ↑ Texas and Pacific Railway. The Texas State Historical Association: The Handbook of Texas. Retrieved on January 31, 2022.
9. ↑ Stations and Structures. Retrieved on February 1, 2022.

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