StLB&M/Gulf Coast Lines

Discussion in 'General' started by Bradley A. Scott, Apr 15, 2010.

  1. I'm starting this thread to provide a space for any information people might have about the St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico during the period when it was backed and controlled by the Frisco (ca. 1903-1913). This railroad between Houston and Brownsville, TX, was part of Frisco and Rock Island president B.F. Yoakum's expansive plans to funnel traffic from Mexico to the midwestern US. The Frisco lost control of the line ca. 1913 in the financial collapse of Yoakum's empire, and it later became the MoPac's Gulf Coast Lines.

    So far the best source I've found is a graduate thesis by James Krug, titled "Benjamin Franklin Yoakum and the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railroad", which was completed in 1999 at Texas A&M University at Kingsville and can be requested through academic libraries.

    I'll kick off things by posting a photo I took yesterday when UP 844 came through Kingsville, TX on a corporate publicity tour. As you can see, the nicely preserved Kingsville depot acknowledges the Frisco among the railroads that once served the town. (Full photo set at Flickr.)

    100_0045 reduced.jpg
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 15, 2010
  2. arkrail

    arkrail Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Re: StLB&M / Gulf Coast Lines

    There seems to be some question as to when Frisco actually lost control of these properties. Both NOT&M and StLB&M are shown on the system map and with schedules in the Frisco system timetable for December 1915. A new Frisco system map was prepared in March 1916, eliminating both properties from "Frisco" control, and that is the approximate date that the NOT&M Railway gained control of the former NOT&M RR that had gone into receivership with the Frisco. During the time of the receivership of Frisco and NOT&M, did operations continue under Frisco control as they had pre-1913?
     
  3. SAFN SAAP

    SAFN SAAP Member

    I have some photographs of St.L, B., & M, freight cars. I have a flat car, gondola, and am desperately looking for their tank car and their boxcar. If anyone can help, please do so. I'm hot to do the St.L, B., & M in decals!
     
  4. Oldguy

    Oldguy Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Manny, you might try contacting a John Harper, through the Missouri Pacific Historical Society. He did a presentation on the history of the Gulf Coast Line(s) and had mainly engine photos (Frisco engines with various coast line road names on the tender.) He might have run across what you are looking for.

    Just a thought.

    PS - his presentation was a "rough draft" on a future project that he is working on. At least that what was I inferred while he was talking to Jerry Michaels.
     
  5. fwober

    fwober Member

    I didn't notice this thread, until I had already posted one about GCL/Frisco caboose painting. The SLSF was on the cover of the New Orleans Texas & Mexico Railroad/Beaumont Sour Lake & Western/Orange & Northwestern employee timetable no 26 3/22/1914 .
    Michael Lowe
     
  6. Mike Kohutek

    Mike Kohutek Member

    The online Handbook of Texas has info on the StLB&M and the GCL.

    Regards,
    MK
     

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