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Logging Railroads Of Arkansas: Geared Steam In The Ozarks

Last revised: September 10, 2024

By: Adam Burns

Arkansas logging railroads once constituted dozens of small operations as the state field vast reserves of timber due to its rugged topography and home to the Ozark Mountains.

The earliest such lines to be found in the state date back to the 1870s and while most were abandoned by the 1920s some remained in use through the 1950s.

In terms of size, most Arkansas logging railroads were no more than 5 or 10 miles in length although some operated as common-carrier shortlines and were several miles in length.

The information below is not a complete listing of all logging lines once located in Alabama, only those with an available history.  

It is rather difficult finding information on many lines considering the lack of coverage many received due to the obscurity of the industry and the simple fact that many were located so far away from populated areas.

These latter operations are what will be primarily focused on here since there is more information about them than the privately operated lumber operations. 

Antoine Valley Railroad

The Antoine Valley Railroad was owned by the Grayson-McLeod Lumber Company beginning operations around the turn of the century.

The railroad connected Graysonia with McLeod, west of Arkadelphia. The AV did not haul the logs directly to the lumber company's mill but rather the finished lumber to a connection with the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway (a Missouri Pacific predecessor), a through main line railroad.

Arkansas Eastern Railroad

The Arkansas Eastern Railroad was owned by the Baker Lumber Company and began operations in 1907 connecting its mill at Turrell with Hafer, a distance of about seven miles. The primary purpose of the AE was to simply haul logs to the company mill. It remained in operation through the early 20th century before operations were suspended.

Ashley, Drew & Northern Railroad

The Ashley, Drew & Northern Railroad came about in 1912 to construct a railroad between Cremer and Monticello, Arkansas. One of its predecessors was the Crossett Railway, a 10 mile line originally built and owned by the Crossett Lumber Company in 1902 to haul logs to the lumber mill.

The Crossett Railway was sold to the Crossett, Monticello & Northern Railroad, which subsequently was purchased by the AD&N.

Interestingly, the AD&N's headquarters and main engine house were always located in Crossett.  The AD&N operated a common-carrier system about 41 miles in length and remained in use through the mid-1990s.

Bearden & Ouachita River Railroad

The Bearden & Ouachita River Railroad was owned by the Cotton Belt Lumber Company and dates back to around 1904. It brought logs from timber spurs located near Caney to the company lumber mill at Best, a distance of about 14 miles. The B&OR remained in operation until the 1920s. 

Blytheville, Leachville & Arkansas Southern Railroad

The Blytheville, Leachville & Arkansas Southern Railroad was owned by the Chicago Mill & Lumber Company, dating back to the spring of 1908. It operated about 15 miles of track serving the company's lumber mill at Glenco (near Blytheville). 

Caddo & Choctaw Railroad

The Caddo & Choctaw Railroad was owned by the Caddo River Lumber Company and was incorporated in 1907. It connected Rosboro (where it had a connection with the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway) with Cooper, a distance of about 14 miles.

The C&C served the company's lumber mill located near Rosboro, hauling logs from the surrounding area. The line was eventually taken over by the Memphis, Dallas & Gulf Railroad.

Central Arkansas & Eastern Railroad

The Central Arkansas & Eastern Railroad began operations in 1901, originally owned by the Arkansas Cypress Shingle Company. It originally connected England with Ryan, Arkansas, a distance of about nine miles. The CA&E was leased by the St. Louis Southwestern Railway in 1910, although the Cotton Belt continued adding to the system.

Cornie Valley Railroad

The Cornie Valley Railroad was owned and operated by the Edgar Lumber Company, serving its mill at Wesson. The railroad began operations in 1904 and at its peak featured about 30 miles of track, including timber spurs. 

Crittenden Railroad

The Crittenden Railroad was operated by the Crittenden Lumber Company and was incorporated in the summer of 1905. It operated about 20 miles of track including timber spurs and had connections with both the Rock Island and St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway. For more information about this railroad please click here.

Doniphan, Kensett & Searcy Railway

The Doniphan, Kensett & Searcy Railway was originally constructed by the Doniphan Lumber Company around 1906. It served the company mill at Doniphan and stretched as west as Searcy, about 15 miles away.

While the railroad primarily hauled logs to the mill given that it connected with three through railroads (the Rock Island, Missouri & North Arkansas, and St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway), it also hauled other minor freight.

El Dorado & Wesson Railroad

The El Dorado & Wesson Railroad was also owned and operated by the Edgar Lumber Company, and served its mill at Wesson. The railroad included interchanges with two railroads, the Rock Island and St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway. It remained in use until around 1930.

Fourche River Valley & Indian Territory Railway

The Fourche River Valley & Indian Territory Railway, originally called the Arkansas River & Southern Railway, was owned by the Fourche River Lumber Company beginning operations around 1905. The railroad served the company lumber mill at Graytown, operated, at its peak about 15 miles of trackage to tap nearby timber reserves. Overall it connected the town's of Bigelow and Bellevue, connected with Class I Rock Island.

Freeo Valley Railroad

The Freeo Valley Railroad was owned by the Eagle Lumber Company, which was incorporated in 1904. The FV served a mill at Eagle Mills and overall operated about 22 miles of track.

Louisiana & Arkansas Railway

The Louisiana & Arkansas Railway was owned by the Bodcaw Lumber Company and was a bit unique in that it was created in 1898 to take over former logging properties that were either not profitable or already abandoned.

The L&A was essentially a common-carrier, operating more than 300 miles across Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas. It became part of the Kansas City Southern System in the late 1930s and was completely dissolved by 1992.

Mississippi, Arkansas & Western Railway

The Mississippi, Arkansas & Western Railway was controlled by the Bliss-Cook Oak Company around 1904, although the property was originally owned by the Chico Lumber Company.

The railroad hauled logs to the company sawmill at Blissville and operated about eight miles of track. The MA&W connected with the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway (a Missouri Pacific predecessor) to haul the finished lumber products.

Ultima, Thule, Arkadelphia, & Mississippi Railway

The Ultima Thule, Arkadelphia, & Mississippi Railway was owned by the Arkadelphia Lumber Company beginning operations in the mid-1880s.

It was originally meant to connect Arkadelphia with Ultima Thule but ultimately only connected Daleville with Dalark (just east of Arkadelphia). At its peak the UTA&M operated nearly 50 miles of track, including timber spurs. The railroad remained in use until the company's saw mill closed in 1912, ceasing operations.

Warren & Ouachita Valley Railway

The Warren & Ouachita Valley Railway was jointly owned by the Arkansas Lumber Company and the Southern Lumber Company.

It was incorporated in 1899 and began operations around 1901 connecting Banks with Warren, a distance of about 16 miles. At both locations the W&OV had connections with Class I lines, the Rock Island (Banks) and the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway (Warren).

The railroad was another of the "tap lines", hauling the finished lumber products to the Rock Island and StLIM&S. However, it also operated direct logging trains to the mills as well. 

Warren, Johnsville & Saline River Railroad

The Warren, Johnsville & Saline River Railroad was owned by the Bradley Lumber Company and began operations around 1901.

At its peak the railroad operated some 15 miles in length connecting Warren (where there was a connection with the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway) with Hermitage and a connection with the Rock Island.

The WJ&SR brought logs to the company mill at Warren at which point the finished products are shipped off to the Rock Island and StLIM&S at their respective interchange points. In 1920 it was renamed as the Warren & Saline River Railroad and is still in operation today owned by the Potlatch Corporation.

Helena Southwestern Railroad

The Helena Southwestern Railroad was a small 2.3 mile logging line that was owned by the Chicago Mill & Lumber Company. It served the company's lumber mill at West Helena and interchanged freight with the Missouri & North Arkansas Railway and Missouri Pacific. Operations began in late 1913 and the railroad was abandoned by 1920.

De Queen & Eastern Railroad

The De Queen & Eastern Railroad began operations in 1900 and was originally owned by the Dierks Lumber & Coal Company.

It was a larger operation and operated as much as a shortline as a logging railroad (even operating passenger service) initially owning 37 miles of track serving De Queen, Provo, and Perkins.

Today, the railroad still operates and still moves large amounts of wood-based products. It is currently owned by Patriot Rail, Corporation. 

Fordyce & Princeton Railroad

The Fordyce & Princeton Railroad dated back to 1889 when it was chartered by the Fordyce Lumber Company to tap nearby timber reserves to serve its mill located in Dallas County.

The line was originally narrow-gauge but later switched to standard gauge. When it originally opened the railroad operated 9.4 miles of track between Fordyce and Toan although as the years went it cutback operations to just a little more than 1 mile.

In 1963 it was purchased by Georgia Pacific during which time it grew to its largest size in the early 1980s when it picked up a former Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad (Rock Island) branch to Crossett. Today, it is owned by Genesee & Wyoming and operates about 57 miles of trackage.

Central Railway Company of Arkansas

This logging line was chartered by the Fort Smith Lumber Company in 1906 and was intended to build 130 miles from Hot Springs to Casa.

However, only 13 miles were ever built between Brizi and Ola, where it connected with the Rock Island. The railroad served its mill at Plainview, about half-way along the main line. It remained in operation until about 1932.

Memphis, Dallas & Gulf Railroad

The MD&G was owned by the Graysonia & Nashville Lumber Company and created on June 1, 1910 when it took over the operations of the Antoine Valley Railroad and Ultima, Thule, Arkadelphia & Mississippi Railway.

The railroad served Murfreesboro, Tokio, Nashville, Schaal and a connection with the Kansas City Southern and Frisco at Ashdown. It remained in operation until 1922.

Homan & Southeastern Railway

The Homan & Southeastern Railway was founded in 1904 by the Kelly Lumber Company to serve its mill near Arthur, which was very close to the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway's main line.

From there, the railroad operated 12 miles into the Arkansas countryside to tap the area's timber reserves.

Just two years after operating, Kelly Lumber failed and was replaced by the Homan Lumber Company. The operation ceased after 1910 when the mill was destroyed by fire. 

Reader Railroad

The Reader Railroad is one of Arkansas's more historic such companies.

It dated back to the Sayre Narrow Gauge Railway of 1889, which was built to serve a sawmill near Gurdon (where there was an interchange with the StLIM&S) and tap lumber reserves just south of Reader.

In 1925 A. S. Johnson purchased then owner Valley Lumber Company and renamed the operation as the Reader Railroad.

New ownership built the line further to Waterloo where it gained new freight in the way of oil discovered in there, a staple that would carry the railroad nearly through its end.

It was the last system to use steam locomotives, which remained on the roster until the late 1960s and was finally abandoned in 1991. There is currently an effort underway to resume tourist train operations on part of the line.

L'Anguille River Railway

This railroad was chartered in 1902 by the Miller Lumber Company and operated just over one-mile of track from Marianna to lumber mills located along the nearby L'Anguille River. It did move some additional freight, like bricks, but was finally abandoned in 1932.

Little Rock, Maumelle & Western Railroad

This railroad, chartered and originally owned by the A. J. Neimeyer Lumber Company, began service in 1907 serving an area just south of Little Rock where it connected with the StLIM&S to Maumelle and Carnes. From this point the line operated several small logging branches. The LRM&W remained in service until about 1932. 

Saline Bayou Railway

The Saline Bayou Railway was chartered by the Oak Leaf Mill Company in 1905. It served the lumber mill at Oak Leaf and nearby connection with the StLIM&S, reaching 14 miles to tap various timber reserves. It remained in use until only 1913. 

Beirne & Clear Lake Railroad

The Beirne & Clear Lake Railroad was chartered by the Penn Lumber Company in 1909. At its peak the narrow-gauge line operated 41 miles of logging spurs serving the company's mill at Beirne.

Brookings & Peach Orchard Railroad

The Brookings & Peach Orchard Railroad was charted by the Quellmalz Lumber & Manufacturing Company in 1908 to take over the operations of the Harris Manufacturing Company.

It had originally built a narrow-gauge railroad to serve its lumber mill at Brookings with a connection to the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern about three miles away. Quellmalz Lumber updated the railroad to standard gauge although it never grew any larger than its original 3 miles.

Saginaw & Ouachita River Railroad

The S&ORRR was chartered by the Saginaw Lumber Company in 1905 to serve its mill near Saginaw with the StLIM&S's line a little more than two miles away. The line remained in use until only 1913.

Saline River Railway

The Saline River Railway was chartered by the Saline River Lumber in 1897. The railroad had two interchange points; at Draughon it connected with the St. Louis Southwestern Railway where the company's mill was located and Glynn, where it interchanged with the Warren & Ouachita Valley Railway, another logging line. Overall the railroad operated just 2 miles of track. 

Thornton & Alexandria Railway

The Thornton & Alexandria was founded by the Stout Lumber Company in 1904 to take over a narrow-gauge line that was originally built by the Stout-Greer Lumber Company.

The mill was located at Thornton, where it interchanges with the Cotton Belt, and also reached Hampton from which point logging spurs radiated about five miles to tap timber reserves. It remained in operation until around 1927.

Blytheville, Burdette & Mississippi River Railway

This logging railroad was constructed by the Three States Lumber Company in 1906 to serve its mill Burdette with fresh logs near Wolverton Landing, about five miles away. It was a standard gauge line and interchanged with the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway. The railroad remained in use until 1922. 

For more information regarding the state's logging railroad history please click here.  The page provides a detailed list of operations, the years they were in service, and other information.