Oil Fields Shortline Railroad

Discussion in 'General' started by adams, May 25, 2018.

  1. adams

    adams QLA-QSF

    Hello All—is anyone familiar with this shortline? It ran from the Frisco at Clifford, Oklahoma to Dilworth, Ok, back around the 20’s. Looking at Google Earth, I can see the old roadbed of the Frisco (Arkansas City-Enid), but can’t see a trace of the ‘town’ of Clifford. Just wondered what might have existed there. It does appear in old Frisco timetables.
     
  2. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Bruce, Clifford may have been just a point on the railroad, not a town. There are lots of such locations found in timetables.
     
    modeltruckshop likes this.
  3. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    The Oil Fields Short Line Railroad Co was incorporated in Oklahoma on May 29, 1916 to serve the Dilworth Oil Field. The company completed the construction 4.4. miles of track during November 1916 between Clifford (on the Frisco's Beaumont Sub) and Dilworth.

    https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/63189430/

    It was abandoned during 1923. It was never owned by the Frisco.

    I believe that the passing track at Clifford, a blind station, came into being because of the of the new railroad. The passing track was retired sometime between 1964 and 1967.

    A concise history of Dilworth may be found at this url. The demise of the OFSL RR may be directly attributed to the demise of the town.

    http://www.kaycounty.info/ncoha/ghostowns.htm#dilworth
    dilworth_fld.JPG
    The Dilworth Field may be seen on this map, and is noted as oil field 812. Oil fields are depicted in Green (Gas Oil Ratio < 5000); Combination Gas and Oil fields are depicted in Brown (GOR 5000-20,000); Gas field are depicted in Red (GOR >20,000). Between 1900 and 1923, 460 wells were drilled in the field. Since 1923, 1580 wells were drilled; the most recent being during 2018.


    dilworth_field_IHSE_annotated.jpg

    This annotated satellite image depicts the approximate location of Dilworth and Clifford. I have also marked a possible ROW location for the OFSL RR. I have placed well spots for the wells drilled during the 1900-1923 time frame. The numbers by the well spots are the well's TD.
     
    Last edited: May 30, 2018
  4. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Excellent summary, Karl. Very impressive detective work, especially considering Dilworth's meteoric rise and fall.

    Best Regards,
     
    paul slavens, Karl and Ozarktraveler like this.
  5. friscorr

    friscorr FRISCO.org Supporter Frisco.org Supporter

    November 19, 1916
    The Wichita Daily Eagle
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jun 19, 2018
    Larry F. likes this.
  6. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Good find, Cody.

    As a side note, J.A. Frates was one of the Frisco officials for whom streets were named when Chaffee, MO debuted in 1905 as the new division point for the "Cape & River Division."

    The timing is interesting, as the SL&SF became the SL-SF in September, following the collapse of Yoakum's Frisco System, if I have my dates right. Perhaps Mr. Frates decided to resign in June, seeing the forthcoming reorganization? Or, maybe he really did the "one purpose in view" of building a short line to the oil fields. Rather a "chicken or the egg" type of argument, I suppose.

    Interesting reading and information, one and all.

    Best Regards,
     

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