Blackwell and Southern Railway

Blackwell and Southern RailwayOverview

Headquarters| Guthrie, Oklahoma
Locale| Oklahoma
Dates of operation| 1899–1900
Technical
Track gauge| 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length| 15.95 miles (25.67 km)

The Blackwell and Southern Railway ("B&SR") constructed a rail line running from Braman, Oklahoma to Tonkawa, Oklahoma. The 15.95-mile (25.67 km) route was built in 1899, and sold to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (AT&SF) in early 1900.

## History

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### Kansas and Southeastern Railroad

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As background, a rail connection had arrived in the town of Hunnewell, Kansas in 1880, giving that locale access to the Kansas City stockyards and beyond.[1] Thus when the separate Kansas and Southeastern Railroad, which had been incorporated in Kansas on August 16, 1897, constructed in 1898 a line from Hunnewell on the Kansas-Oklahoma border south to Braman, about 9.1 miles, Braman became a desirable connection point for other railroads.[2][3]

### B&SR

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Against that framework, The Blackwell and Southern Railway Company was incorporated under the General Laws of the Territory of Oklahoma on June 2, 1899[4][5] with its headquarters in Guthrie.[6] Utilizing over $150,000 advanced from the AT&SF, the railway built south from Braman through Blackwell\-- which had an east/west railroad connection owned by the Hutchinson and Southern Railway\-- and continued on to Tonkawa, 15.95 miles in total.[7][8] The single-track line was completed on August 7, 1899, and was operated by the AT&SF from its first day.[7]

### Sale

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The B&SR was sold to the AT&SF on January 26, 1900.[4][7] This was just shortly after the AT&SF bought both the Kansas and Southeastern Railroad and the Hutchinson and Southern Railway on December 20, 1899.[4]

### Subsequent events

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The Blackwell-to-Tonkawa segment of the line has since been abandoned, but the Blackwell-to-Braman segment is still in use.[9][10] It is owned by the Blackwell Industrial Authority and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT), and operated as part of the Blackwell Northern Gateway Railroad.[11]

## References

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1. ^ "Hunnewell, Kansas-Cow Town to Ghost Town". Legends of America. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
2. ^ "Braman". Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
3. ^ "The Kansas and Southeastern Railroad Company, pp.35-38". Railroads of Oklahoma, June 6, 1870-April 1, 1978 (accessed on Oklahoma DigitalPrairie. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
4. ^ a b c "The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company". Railroads of Oklahoma, June 6, 1870-April 1, 1978, pp. 29-38 (accessed on Oklahoma Digital Prairie). Retrieved March 24, 2023.
5. ^ "Braman". Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
6. ^ "Railways chartered since January 1, 1898". 1899. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
7. ^ a b c "Valuation Docket No. 625, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company et al, decided May 3, 1927, pp. 127, 237, 253 & 471". 1927. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
8. ^ "Tonkawa". Oklahoma Historical Society. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
9. ^ "Oklahoma 2018-2020 State Railroad Map" (PDF). Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
10. ^ "Locals fondly recall old railroad's 'Doodlebug'". Blackwell Journal-Tribune, January 12, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
11. ^ "Blackwell Northern Gateway Railroad Company-Lease Renewal Exemption-Oklahoma Department of Transportation and Blackwell Industrial Authority". Federal Register, 11/17/2010. Retrieved September 23, 2021.

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Railroads of Oklahoma

Common carriers|

* Arkansas–Oklahoma Railroad
* Arkansas Southern Railroad
* AT&L Railroad
* BNSF
* Cimarron Valley Railroad
* CPKC
* Farmrail Corporation
* Grainbelt Corporation
* Kiamichi Railroad
* Northwestern Oklahoma Railroad
* Osage Railway
* South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad
* Stillwater Central Railroad
* Sand Springs Railway
* Texas, Oklahoma & Eastern Railroad
* Tulsa–Sapulpa Union Railway
* Union Pacific
* WFEC Railroad Company
* Wichita, Tillman & Jackson Railway

Passenger carriers|

* Amtrak

* See also: Former carriers in Oklahoma
* List of United States railroads by political division

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