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The '''St. Louis-San Francisco Railway Company''', widely known as the "Frisco," was a major rail carrier from the late 19th century into the early 1980s. It was one of two railways that directly served the city of Pensacola, sharing access to the Port of Pensacola with its better-known counterpart, the [[Louisville & Nashville Railroad]]. It also provided passenger service to and from from Pensacola from its arrival in 1928 until the cessation of passenger service in 1955.
== Origin and Design ==
In the late 1800s and early 1900s the Frisco was engaged in a series of expansions. By the early 1920s many of these expansions had not proven fruitful, so new plans of expansion through acquisition and construction were developed. One of these expansion plans involved an outlet to a Port (the company having lost a line to New Orleans prior to 1920). However, most of these ventures did not pan out either and Frisco was forced to sell or abandon many them. However, one plan, the Frisco's long-standing dream of an outlet to the Gulf of Mexico, was finally realized with the completion of the line to Pensacola, Florida in July [[1928]]. To finalize this dream the Frisco purchased the '''Muscle Shoals, Birmingham and Pensacola Railroad''', on [[July 7]], [[1925]], although responsibility for operating the line was not assumed until a later date. This line extended from [[Pensacola]], Florida North to [[Wikipedia:Kimbrough, Alabama|Kimbrough]], Alabama, a distance of about 143 miles and included port facilities consisting of docks, warehouses and water front property in Pensacola. The line, originally known as the Gulf, Florida and Alabama Railroad, was constructed in the early to mid teens of the twentieth century. Originally this line was projected to run 146 miles south to Kimbrough, Alabama passing through rich coalfields and the city of [[Wikipedia:Tuscaloosa, Alabama|Tuscaloosa]], Alabama. As built, it left the Amory to Aberdeen Branch at a point named Aberdeen Junction on the east side of the [[Wikipedia:Tombigbee River|Tombigbee River]], proceeding to [[Wikipedia:Demopolis, Alabama|Demopolis]], Alabama and then veering off toward the Southeast to Kimbrough. A crew change point was established at [[Wikipedia:Magnolia, Alabama|Magnolia]], Alabama, which was 153.1 miles south of Amory and 150.7 miles north of Pensacola, the total length of line being 303.8 miles. The new track was constructed with minimal curvature and grades. Flooding along the Tombigbee River was a factor to be contended with on an almost annual basis and a section of the line between [[Wikipedia:Linden, Alabama|Linden]], Alabama and Magnolia was built on very unstable soil requiring perennial [[Wikipedia:slow order|slow orders]]. The portion of track belonging to the Muscle Shoals, Birmingham and Pensacola Railroad was built to a lower standard with much sharper curves, lower-quality track, and steeper grades. There were/are many chemical plants and paper mills along this line with chip and/or pulp wood loading occurring at almost every station. When operated by the Frisco, interchanges were with the Southern at Boligee, Demopolis and Kimbrough, Alabama and with the L&N at Linden, Hybart and [[Atmore, Alabama|Atmore]], Alabama and [[Cantonment, Florida|Cantonment]] and Pensacola, Florida. The Columbus and Greenville, [[Wikipedia:Southern Railway (U.S.)|Southern]] and [[Wikipedia:Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad|GM&O]] interchanged at [[Wikipedia:Columbus, Mississippi|Columbus]], Mississippi.
There were several major branch lines serving clients in the Pensacola area. The new track was constructed with minimal curvature and grades although flooding along Goulding Branch industrial park lead, which led to the Tombigbee River was a factor to be contended with almost on an annual basis port and a section L&N connection, crossed [[Palafox Street]] south of [[Fairfield Drive]]. A branch to the line between [[Wikipedia:Linden, AlabamaNaval Air Station Pensacola|LindenPensacola Naval Air Station]] crossed [[Bayou Chico]], Alabama and Magnolia was built on very unstable soil requiring perennial a [[Wikipedia:slow orderBascule Bridge|slow ordersBascule]]. The portion of track belonging to the Muscle Shoalsbridge, Birmingham and Pensacola Railroad was built to a lower standard with much sharper curves, lower-quality track, and steeper gradesnow long since demolished.
== Fire At The Frisco Docks ==
Frisco owned and maintained port facilities in Pensacola, on what is now called the [[Trillium property]]. The pier built shortly after 1900 was sold by the Frisco to the [[Pensacola Port Authority]] in [[1957]] and completely destroyed by fire on [[December 17]], [[1966]]. Adjacent facilities owned by the Frisco were not damaged. After that most of the import/export business was handled through the city of Pensacola Port which was served by the L&N RR. Frisco interchanged this business to the L&N in downtown Pensacola, via tracks that once paralleled Main Street. Frisco locomtives locomotives would push railcars, which would be detached and coast along these tracks until being caught by a locomotive on the port end. Scrap metal, as well as rice, flour and other agricultural commodities were exported. Commodities handled in Pensacola included scrap, chemicals, wood products and acoustical tile products.
== Passenger Service ==
== The Railroad Today ==
Today, what remains of the Pensacola Branch is operated by the [[Wikipedia:BNSF Railway|BNSF]] to Kimbrough at which point Mobile trains enter and leave the [[Wikipedia:Norfolk Southern Railway|Norfolk Southern]]. Kimbrough to Pensacola is operated by the [[Wikipedia:Alabama and Gulf Coast Railway|Alabama and Gulf Coast Railway]], which is owned by a short-line holding company, RailAmerica.[http://http://www.railamerica.com/RailAmerica]
==References==