masthead_shortlines

Delta Southern Railroad

dsrr_state The Delta Southern Railroad began operations in January of 1989 to acquire and operate 103 miles of former Missouri Pacific trackage from Tullulah, Louisiana, northward to McGehee, Arkansas. The line was opened in 1903 by the Memphis, Helena & Louisiana, which later joined MP and then Union Pacific. A previous attempt to operate portions of this route as a shortline was made in 1987 by the Dixie River Railroad, which assembled locomotives but never commenced operation. Traffic on the McGehee line originally included cotton, grain, agricultural products, coal, and chemicals. Interchange was with Kansas City Southern in Tullulah and Union Pacific in McGehee. Today the Tullulah line is cut back to Lake Providence, Louisiana -- 37 miles.

In 1991, the Delta Southern acquired a second route from Monroe, Louisiana, to Huttig, Arkansas -- also a former Missouri Pacific route. The northern portion of this line was abandoned two years later, but service continues from Sterlington to Monroe -- 14 miles. The road was first affiliated with National Railway Equipment Company, but since 2015 it is owned by Continental Rail. Today commodities moved include grain, aggregate materials, agricultural products, cotton, coal, chemicals, fertilizer, forest products, sand clay, and soda ash.

dsrr_article_TSL97mar1989

The Short Line #97 / Mar 1989 / collection

dsrr_map

DSRR route map / web

dsrr_article_TSL106aug1990

The Short Line #106 / Aug 1990 / collection

Motive Power

Delta Southern #100

  • builder:Santa Fe Cleburne Shops
  • model:CF7
  • type:B-B road switcher
  • rebuilt:Jan 1973
  • series:233 produced 1970-78
  • engine:EMD 567B (16 cyls. 1500hp)
  • notes:
  • rebuilt Santa Fe #2585
    from F7A #264C (EMD #13737, 1951)
    to National Railway Equipment
    to Delta Southern #100
  • builder

    Delta Southern #102

  • builder:Santa Fe Cleburne Shops
  • model:CF7
  • type:B-B road switcher
  • rebuilt:Mar 1972
  • series:233 produced 1970-78
  • engine:EMD 567B (16 cyls. 1500hp)
  • notes:
  • rebuilt Santa Fe #2626
    from F3A #22C (EMD #5398, 1948)
    to National Railway Equipment
    to Delta Southern #102
  • builder

    Delta Southern #104

  • builder:Santa Fe Cleburne Shops
  • model:CF7
  • type:B-B road switcher
  • rebuilt:Sep 1972
  • series:233 produced 1970-78
  • engine:EMD 567B (16 cyls. 1500hp)
  • notes:
  • originally Santa Fe #2605
    from F7A #260L (EMD #13729, 1951)
    to National Railway Equipment
    to Delta Southern #104
  • builder

    Delta Southern #106

  • builder:Santa Fe Cleburne Shops
  • model:CF7
  • type:B-B road switcher
  • rebuilt:Aug 1972
  • series:233 produced 1970-78
  • engine:EMD 567B (16 cyls. 1500hp)
  • notes:
  • originally Santa Fe #2607
    from F7A #274L (EMD #18921, 1953)
    to National Railway Equipment
    to Delta Southern #106
  • builder

    Delta Southern #107

  • builder:Santa Fe Cleburne Shops
  • model:CF7
  • type:B-B road switcher
  • rebuilt:Mar 1971
  • series:233 produced 1970-78
  • engine:EMD 567B (16 cyls. 1500hp)
  • notes:
  • originally Santa Fe #2640
    from F7A #301L (EMD #17933, 1953)
    to National Railway Equipment
    to Delta Southern #107
  • builder

    HawkinsRails thanks Bishop Taylor of Louisiana Rail Productions for sharing his excellent YouTube videos

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    Links / Sources

    This page was updated on 2019-05-13