Took a ride out to Reform then on down to Aliceville Saturday to see the trail of the old Frisco and what might be left. There's not much. A street sign in Carrollton, grown over right of ways and historical markers are all that mark the Frisco's passing in these parts. I did get a laugh at the depot in Alicville. It could have had any place name on it and you would know it's a Frisco building. Pictures are in an album
Having spent most of my life in Sulligent, I've been all along AL Hwy 17 through Reform down to Mobile. I never knew there was a RR down that route until I found out by using this website just about a year ago. I'm shocked I didn't notice anything since I'm always looking for possible old railroad beds when I'm out of my home area. It must be pretty far gone. Not suprised. I remember the Briliant branch crossing US 78 in Winfield during the early 80's. Now, if you don't know where to look, it's almost impossible to find a trace of it! Given how hard it is to find the Brilliant Branch after only about 25 years since the tracks were removed, I'm not suprised I never noticed the road bed for the AT&N. I do, however, recall a line on the south of Aliceville about 10 years ago, on the east side of Hwy 17. I just assumed it was a spur off the Columbus-Pensacola line. This is what I want to know. When was the segment from Carrollton to Reform abandoned? I assume Frisco had no need for that segment since they could reach Mobile ports via their own, shorter, Columbus, MS-Aliceville, AL segment.
Before I registered and got on board Frisco.org I Googled Alabama Tennesee & Northern Railway and got a bunch of stuff. Like the QA&P, I love the black and yellow Frisco scheme with sublettering to designate the subsidiary. For modelers with a desire to freelance a Frisco controlled road this is the perfect way to permit one to build a layout that brings out the spirit of the Frisco and also to add a certain locomotive that wasn´t on the Frisco´s roster or one of the subsidiary lines. Just part of the fun of model railroading that makes the hobby so entertaining and rewarding. Joe Toth The Trinity River Bottoms Boomer
The historic marker says the last train was run on June 29th, 1976. I read an article in an old local magazine that the tracks were pulled up in 1980. I few guys I work with that are in their late 30's and have lived in the area can't remember a train or tracks.
I took these photos on 4/5/13. I was in the area for my daughter's POW museum field trip earlier in the day. Reform Depot POW Camp historical marker on AT&N ROW 1 mi. south of Aliceville. Bridge remains 1.5 mi south of Aliceville. Crossing of former Frisco at former Hwy 17 (replaced with a new Hwy overpass along the old AT&N ROW). Aliceville office on former Pensacola sub. The old AT&N ROW looking north from "the projects" in Aliceville. Bridge remains south of the Reform wye at the edge of former route of AL 17. (Looking South) Close-up view of Reform bridge remains. Looking north from north end of Reform bridge remains toward wye. Apparently rails from near the split of the wye in Reform.
Last night, I took my marching band (Brilliant, AL) to a football game at Reform, AL. The two towns have something in common. At one time, both towns were at the northern terminus of a Frisco line. Brilliant was at the end of the ICRR line that became the Frisco's "Brilliant Branch," and Reform was at the end of the AT&N that became the Frisco's "Reform Branch." The Pickens County High School football stadium (there in Reform) was built as close to the AT&N as possible. We parked just beyond the south endzone. At the tree line was a barbed wire fence, and just inches beyond the fence, I saw old crossties, still sitting there in the weeds, about 40 years after the last Frisco train ran to Reform from Aliceville and Carrollton. A few freeloading fans gathered outside the stadium on top of the old roadbed, beyond the SW corner of the endzone, to watch the game for free. As bad as it may sound, I wanted to leave my marching band and join the folks on top of the old railroad bed... but not to watch the game or socialize. I wanted to explore!
Hi Brandon, Back in the early sixties my grandparents lived in Brilliant my grandfather taught agriculture at the high school and my grandmother was the principal at the elementary school. Robert
