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Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf Railroad: "The Pine Leaf Route"

Published: January 17, 2025

By: Adam Burns

The Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf (FC&G) was one of several notable short lines operating in the Deep South which handled primarily timber-based traffic and had been constructed by lumber interests.

Names like the Louisiana & North West; North Louisiana & Gulf; Ashley, Drew & Northern; and Bonhomie & Hattiesburg Southern could be found throughout this region of U.S.

However, as notable author David Price once pointed out the FC&G's purpose waned as rail transport declined in the post-World War II.  He states:

"The FC&G was in reality a very typical and not-too-significant shortline by nationwide railroad standards. Yet for many years it provided needed and more-or-less efficient transportation necessary for economic development in a rural area.

In latter years of operation one could count on seeing well maintained locomotives and caboose and light iron well aligned and in good repair snaking over undulating grades and through colorful, red clay cuts through the hills."

By the 1960s the FC&G - still a family-owned operation - was subsisting primarily on bridge traffic alone thanks to its connections with the Illinois Central at Fernwood and the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio at Tylertown and Foxworth.

With the merger of these two roads in 1972 this traffic vanished and the short line's purpose ceased.  The Enochs family sold out to the newly formed Illinois Central Gulf and the large Class 1 promptly abandoned most of the FC&G soonafterwards.  Today, few traces of this 44-mile short line remain.

Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf SW900 #900, acquired new by the railroad, at the railroad's small engine facility Fernwood, Mississippi in May, 1972. Warren Calloway photo.

History

Incorporated on March 31, 1906, the Fernwood & Gulf Railroad was established by the Enochs family, who owned the expansive Fernwood Lumber Company - at one time the South's largest such operation.

Following a trend among Southern lumber companies, the Fernwood Lumber Company separated its main line logging railroad into a common carrier.

As a result, the Fernwood & Gulf Railroad was officially incorporated on March 31, 1906, under Mississippi law. Its purpose was to manage the main line tracks running east of Fernwood, where the company’s large sawmill operated and connected with the Illinois Central's mainline.

Initially, this common carrier stretched to Tylertown, Mississippi, 20.3 miles from Fernwood. While the main line came under the Fernwood & Gulf Railroad, branches and extensions were kept within the Fernwood Lumber Company. In 1907, the Bogue Chitto branch of the New Orleans Great Northern connected to Tylertown from Rio, Louisiana, creating a further link with the Fernwood & Gulf Railroad.

Continuing its eastward expansion, the Fernwood Lumber Company finished an extension from Tylertown to Kokomo, about 11.59 miles away, in December 1910 and set up a main lumber camp there. This section was handed over to the Fernwood & Gulf Railroad.

System Map

A system map from 1920 of the Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf. American-Rails.com collection.

Later, the Fernwood & Gulf embarked on its last independent eastward expansion to reach the New Orleans Great Northern main line at Foxworth in fall 1919, which added 9.55 miles from Kokomo. This completed their main line of 41.44 miles, which remained unchanged for over fifty years.

On May 1, 1920, the Fernwood & Gulf Railroad underwent a name change to become the Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf Railroad. Simultaneously, they secured track rights from the New Orleans Great Northern to access Columbia, Mississippi via a 2.68-mile branch, including use of the NOGN bridge over the Pearl River at Columbia.

The FC&G built a station and 0.36 miles of terminal tracks in Columbia. Over the ensuing years, they frequently considered extending eastward to Hattiesburg, especially after the Enochs family, who owned both the Fernwood Lumber Company and the FC&G, acquired the Bonhomie & Hattiesburg Southern.

This new venture ran 27 miles from Hattiesburg to connect with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio at Beaumont. However, the planned Columbia-Hattiesburg extension never materialized.

Passenger Operations

Like most such operations, the FC&G did not have extensive passenger service but did provide it as a common-carrier requirement.  To reduce the costs of this service the short line acquired a Model 30 gasoline powered railbus from J.G. Brill numbered M-1.

Its success prompted the addition of Number M-3 in 1936. This unit, powered by a Ford V-8 and built by Kalamazoo, was soon succeeded by M-4. Gasoline rail buses quickly became a familiar scene, remembered fondly by those who lived along the tracks and utilized their services.

Steam Roster

Number	Type/Wheel Arrangement	Builder	Serial Number	Completion Date	Heritage
84	Shay (7 ton, 2 truck)	Lima	84	8/1883	I.C. Enochs #84 (Magnolia, MS)
2	1st	0-6-0T	Porter	1214	9-1890	8x14	26	20000	Enochs Brothers #2, Magnolia, MS Fernwood Lumber Co. #2, in 1892.	National Lumber & Creosoting Co. Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #1244 V. V. Lebedjeff Engineering & Supply Co., New York, NY, for: Guira de Melena Sugar Co. #2, Cuba, on 1/12/1917	30" gauge
3	1st	20-2 Shay	Lima	411	9-1892	3-8x8	26	40000	New for Fernwood Lbr. Co.. Built standard gauge. Changed to 30" gauge.	Changed back to standard gauge #3 ca. 1904.  Genesee Lumber Co. 2nd #3, Genesee, LA McCarroll Lumber Co. #3, Holden, LA Transferred as #1 to Frost, LA, in 1925. Scrapped ca. 7/1928.	Std ga, conv. to 30" gauge; conv. back to std ga ca. 1904
4	1st	20-2 Shay	Lima	405	8-1892	3-9x8	26.5	46000	Morning Mining & Milling Co. #1, Mullan, ID. Built standard gauge. Fernwood Lumber Co. #4, on ? Changed to 30" gauge.	Red Creek Lumber Co. #1, Carnes, MS, in 1916. Holleman & Batson Lumber Co. #1, Lyman, MS, in 1924.	Changed back to standard gauge #4 ca. 1904.
5	1st	65-3 Shay	Lima	856	1904	3-12x15	36	141000	new for Fernwood Lbr. Co.	Copiah Gravel Co., Inc. #5, Crystal Springs, MS, in 1927. Gatesville Gravel Co. #5, Gatesville, MS, in 11/1935. Central Mississippi Gravel Co. #5, Crystal Springs, MS Scrapped 1939.	standard gauge
6	1st	65-3 Shay	Lima	881	1904	3-12x15	36	141000	new for Fernwood Lbr. Co.	J. J. White Lumber Co. #6, Columbia, MS, ca. 11/1/1925.	standard gauge
7	1st	4-6-0	Baldwin	2735	3-1872	18x22	55.5	82000	Pennsylvania R.R. #532 St. Louis, Vandalia & Terre Haute #176, in 11/1881. Fernwood Lumber Co. #7, in 11/1904. Baldwin class 29½ D 110	Fernwood & Gulf #7, in 12/1913 for $1,620. Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf #7, on 4/17/1920. Fernwood Lumber Co. #7, in 8/1929.	standard gauge
8	1st	2-8-0	Altoona	408	1879	18x22	50		Pennsylvania R.R. #99 or #372. Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #213 Fernwood & Gulf R.R. #8,  on 10/31/1904. Cost $4,400.	disp.unk.	standard gauge
9	1st	2-6-0	Baldwin	6101	3-1882	18x24	55.5	80000	Terre Haute & Indianapolis #46 Fernwood Lumber Co. #9, by 1/1907. Baldwin class 8-30 D 117	Fernwood & Gulf #9, for $8,781. In service by 6/1916. Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf #9, on 4/17/1920	standard gauge
10	1st	2-6-0	Baldwin	34399	1910	18x24	56	97000	New for Fernwood Lumber Co. Cost $10,110. Baldwin class 8-30 D 659	Fernwood & Gulf #10, for $4,708.83. In service by 6/1916. Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf #10, on 4/17/1920. Scrapped 1947.	standard gauge
11	1st	2-8-0	Baldwin	36000	1911	20x24	50	135200	New for Fernwood Lumber Co. Cost $12,700. Baldwin class 10-34 E 1977	Fernwood & Gulf #11, on 9/1/1916, for $7,720.74. Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf #11, on 4/17/1920. Scrapped 1947.	standard gauge
12	1st	2-8-0	Baldwin	37578	1912	20x26	56	149550	New for Fernwood Lumber Co. Cost $13,100. Baldwin class 10-34 E 1994	Fernwood & Gulf #12 for $12,005. On hand by 6/1916. J. J. White Lumber Co. #19, Columbia, MS Kentucky Lumber Co. #19, Columbia, MS, in 1928. Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co. #1828 Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf as #12,on 12/3/1937. Cost $5,474.77. Scrapped 1947.	standard gauge
13	1st	2-8-2	Baldwin	40734	1913	20x24	50	164700	New for Fernwood Lumber Co. Cost $14,500. Baldwin class 12-34¼ E 27	Apollonia Lumber Co. #13, Pelahatchie, MS Natalbany Lumber Co. #13, Natalbany, LA Jahncke Service Co. #13, Bluff Creek, LA	standard gauge
14	1st	4-6-0	Brooks	2412	1894	19x24	55	129000	Buffalo & Susquehanna #109 Re.. #122 in 1894. Re. #152 in 1902. Re. #111 in 1907. Wellsville & Buffalo #111, on 12/10/1915. Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #1158 Fernwood Lumber Co. 1st #14, in 9/1917. Cost $7,500.	Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #1712, on 12/31/1921 in trade on 2nd #14. Reynolds-West Lumber Co. #5, Burnside, MS, on 8/25/1923.	standard gauge
14	2nd	4-6-0	Brooks	3557	1900	18x24	63	133000	Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh #187 Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #1700, in 10/1921. Fernwood Lumber Co. 2nd #14, on 11/30/1921. Cost $8,000 with $6,000 allowed in trade on 1st #14.	Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf #17	standard gauge
15	1st	4-4-2	Baldwin	19046	1901	19.5x26	72	150300	Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh #161 Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #1505 Fernwood & Gulf #15, on 12/19/1919. Cost $12,500. Baldwin class 10-32¼ C 40	Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf #15, on 4/17/1920. Scrapped 1936.	standard gauge
16	1st	80-3 Shay	Lima	3096	1920	3-13.5x15	36	179000	New for Fernwood Lumber Co. Cost $24,075.	Polk Operating Co. #6, Grande Ronde, OR, in 2/1930. Willamina & Grande Ronde #6, Grande Ronde, OR, ca. 3/1944.	standard gauge
17	1st	4-6-0	Brooks	3557	1900	18x24	63	133000	Fernwood Lumber Co. 2nd #14 Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf #17	Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #1712, on 12/31/1921 in trade on 2nd #14. Reynolds-West Lumber Co. #5, Burnside, MS, on 8/25/1923.	standard gauge

Diesel Roster

Number	Model Type	Builder	Serial Number	Completion Date	Notes
D-2	44 Ton	GE	18196	3/1945	Acquired new.
D-1	1st	44-ton	GE		18195	3/30/1945	New for Fernwood Columbia & Gulf RR	to Fort Dodge Des Moines & Southern RR #504 in 10-1957; to Raymond International 4405
D-2	1st	44-ton	GE		18196	3/30/1945	New for Fernwood Columbia & Gulf RR	to Fort Dodge Des Moines & Southern RR #505 in 10-1957; to Raymond International 4406
D-3	1st	44-ton	GE		18197	4/6/1945	New for Fernwood Columbia & Gulf RR	to Arcata & Mad River #104 in 1960; to Roots of Motive Power, Willits, CA
D-4	1st	44-ton	GE		28347	4/26/1947	New for Fernwood Columbia & Gulf RR	to South Carolina State Port Authority #104, Charleston, SC to Pittsburgh Metallurgical, Airco Alloys Div., Calvert, Ky to Pittsburgh Metallurgical, Airco Alloys Div #2, Charleston, SC
D-5	1st	44-ton	GE		15030	11/1941	New York Ontario & Western #103; to FC&G D-5 in 8-1950	to Fort Dodge Des Moines & Southern RR #503 in 8-1957; to A. Merilees/IREX #503; to Simplot Chemical
D-6	1st	44-ton	GE		15029	12/1941	Mississippi Export RR #47; to FC&G D-6 in ??	to Fort Dodge Des Moines & Southern RR #502 in 7-1957; to A. Merilees/IREX #502; scrapped
600	1st	SW1	EMD	407-3	1398	9/30/1941	Elgin Joliet & Eastern RR #240; to FC&G #600 on 6-11-1959	to Illinois Central Gulf RR #618 8-1972; to CAGY #525; to Vulcan Material (VMMX) #4545
900	1st	SW900	EMD	4390-1	23298	4/1957	New for Fernwood Columbia & Gulf RR	to Illinois Central Gulf RR 8-1972; to Hutchinson & Northern RR #6 in 1983

Timetable (1930)

A 1930 timetable of the Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf. American-Rails.com collection.

On September 1, 1972, the FC&G became part of the newly formed Illinois Central Gulf, which later abandoned the line in segments, with the last section being dismantled by the early 1980s. Nowadays, only scant traces remain of where the FC&G once traversed.