Brownsville, TX. St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico (SLB&M) Railroad (Frisco Lines). Passenger depot, freight house and yard. 1914 Sanborn Maps. History of the line. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/SS/eqs30.html
Brownsville, TX depot. St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico (SLB&M) Railroad (Frisco Lines). Old postcard view.
The St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico (SLB&M) Railroad was a completion of San Antonio and Aransas Pass (SA&AP) Railway. The founder was Uriah Lott. This road was one of his pride and joys. He teamed up with best friend, Frisco's Benjamin F. Yoakum to get it built. It was Uriah's 2nd railroad. Next came the SA&AP. I will get as much information for you on this road as I can and share some photographs. Great stuff! Now you all know why my signature says: "Reflecting the Frisco influence in the railroads of the Texas Hill Country." The Frisco was everywhere in Southeastern Texas. I just wish that it panned out and buried the Southern Pacific (SP) which was her biggest enemy. And by enemy, I mean ENEMY!
I just received a copy of the book Rails to the Rio which is a total historical work on the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico. It is an awesome book. Not much for photographs of railroad cars, but the historical information is great! The book covers the lines humble beginnings, growth, trials, troubles, Mexican Banditos, cattle, surrounding towns, etc.. Much is given to B. F. Yoakum's investment and his participation. An excellent read for someone who wants to learn about the Gulf Coast Line.
I used the title Rails to the Rio and requested the book from the inter library loan. You did not name the author, so I left blank. What I got is a western by Bob Obets, 1965, fiction. What is the name of your book's author, the year it was printed and publisher company? Thanks!
The book Rails to the Rio was written as a centennial 1904-2004 and was a private offering. You will not find it in public book stores, but may as a reference in the library. I spoke with the author the other day and he was out of hard and soft cover copies of the book., but was putting that rendition into a spiral type binder. In between, I picked up a hard copy, so now I have two of them. If you would like to buy the spiral from me, please PM me and I will give the details. I will sell it for what I have paid for it.
I have decals for the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico (SLB&M) Railroad to make boxcars, refrigerators, tank, and gondolas. I will be modeling them soon, but plan on seeing them as part of my offerings regularly.
In 1931, J. L. Allhands published a book titled Gringo Builders which is a history of the opening of the lower Rio Grande Valley by rail. I do not have this book, but it can be found at www.abebooks.com and though not cheap by any means, it appears to be a concise history of the St. Louis Brownsville and Mexico (SLB&M). I am selling my non-Southwest related railroad books and hope to generate some money to purchase a copy. Like Manny says, the Frisco should have kicked the Southern Pacific (SP) clean out of Texas. Had all the lines constructed that were part of the Frisco remained in operation one can only guess what the Frisco would look like today! I doubt if it would have become a Fallen Flag.
Looks like a good book to get. I hope that that one will have some pictures of rail cars in it. But the buildings are what is needed. Thanks for the information.
Joe, The real story to the Frisco, was the same as the Denver and Rio Grand. After deregulation of freight rates and routing a bridge railroad could easily be run around, hence drying them up. Frisco just did not originate enough to compete with the mega railroads. BN though was the best choice, they were great, until the Krebs machine came. William Jackson
Actually, it was the demise of the Frisco-Rock Island Era under Yoakum and WWI that did in the Frisco's ownership of the St.L.B.&M.RY. By 1925, she was firmly in the hands of the Missouri Pacific (MP). Yoakum's interest in so many Southeastern Texas railroads should have locked the Frisco in and dealt a fatal blow to the Southern Pacific (SP). However, poor fiscal management and other issues forced the sale of smaller routes to consolidate the Frisco and she lost out to Texas. Too bad. Very interesting reads on how the Frisco lost the road.
No doubt, had the Frisco-Rock Island alliance survived the Frisco would have gone on to become a major railroad in Texas. With the RI all the way to Chicago, the Twin Cities and out to Colorado, I imagine it would still be with us today, having acquired other roads over the decades. It tried this in the early 1960s with the Central of Georgia but lost out to Southern Railway (SR). As a condition to the merger between the ACL and SAL that formed Seaboard Coast Line, the SR demanded entrance into Tampa, Florida. The ICC nixed that plan. No doubt Norfolk Southern (NS) wishes it could gain access to Tampa now. The Port of Tampa is expanding to accommodate the growth of container traffic when the Panama Canal project is completed. Anyway, the SR's loss to the Tampa Bay area is a form of pay back for having knocked the Frisco out of the engineer's seat to gain control of the CG. Another great book and one that went gone with the wind when I made my overseas move in 1976 is A History of Texas Railroads by S.G. Reed. It is not hard to find, but prepare to pay a premium price. It was published as a hardbound in 1941, and was reprinted as a softcover in the 1970s I believe. I keep watching Abe Books for an affordable copy. A book dealer might drop the price if he needs to pay delinquent rent on his shop. Manny, is your web site up yet? Joe Toth
