The Waco, Beaumont, Trinity and Sabine Railroad started out as the Beaumont and Great Northern Railroad in 1905, which built the first vestige of the WBT&S between Weldon and Livingston that same year. The intent of the railroad was to haul lumber produced by the piney woods of East Texas. In 1912, the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (the "Katy") acquired the B&GN.
In 1923, after an extended receivership under the MKT, the B&GN emerged a sole entity again, this time as the Waco, Beaumont, Trinity and Sabine Railroad. Additionally, the following year, as the MKT was shedding redundant lines coming out of its receivership, the WBT&S purchased the 66 miles of right-of-way between Trinity (including a connection with the WBT&S) and Colmesneil from the MKT. This brought the total mileage to 114, and completed the extents of the WBT&S, which included 5 interchanges with 4 different railroads.
MP | Station |
00.0 | Livingston |
00.6 | West Livingston |
03.1 | East Tempe |
06.2 | Vreeland |
07.7 | Blanchard |
11.6 | Kicakapoo |
13.6 | Onalaska |
16.8 | Pennell |
21.1 | Carlisle |
24.9 | Sebastopol |
27.5 | Pagoda |
32.9 | Trinity |
33.3 | Mill Junction |
34.2 | Sequoyah |
37.8 | Barnes |
39.6 | Auburn |
43.9 | Kittrell |
47.6 | Weldon |
Former T&S mileposts | |
0 | Trinity |
7 | Glendale |
9 | Saron |
15 | Westville |
19 | Groveton |
22 | Josserand |
26 | Willard |
30 | Carmona |
38 | Corrigan |
43 | Stryker |
48 | Bowers |
53 | Hampton |
54 | Chester |
61 | Mobile |
67 | Colmesneil |
A declining lumber industry along with the Great Depression imposed financial strain on the WBT&S, so much so that it entered into receivership in 1930. During the next 31 years under receivership, the WBT&S started abandoning its lines in stages:
Weldon Kittrell Trinity Colmesneil
Trinity Sebastopol Livingston
====================================================================================
1881 |-- T&SRy ---| <<<Trinity & Sabine Railway
1882 |--- MKT ----|
1905 |---------- Beaumont & Great Northern Railroad ------------------|
1923 |------- Waco, Beaumont, Trinity & Sabine Railroad --------------|
1924 |------------------------|-- WBT&S ---|
1936 |------------------------|.abandoned..|
1940 |.abandoned.|----------------------------------------------------|
1949 |--------------------------------------|..abandoned..|
1961 |.abandoned.|.... abandoned ...........|
The last wheel turned in 1959 when its only remaining locomotive was condemned. The final abandonment in 1961 was the end of the WBT&S, but not before leaving its mark on Texas state history, representing the longest bankruptcy of any railroad in the Lone Star State.