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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 ==
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.
== Major Local Branch Lines Activities ==
There were several major branch lines serving clients in the Pensacola area. The Goulding Branch industrial park lead, which led to the port and L&N connection, crossed [[Palafox Street]] south of [[Fairfield Drive]]. A branch to the [[Naval Air Station Pensacola|Pensacola Naval Air Station]] crossed [[Bayou Chico]] on a [[Wikipedia:Bascule Bridge|Bascule]] bridge, now long since demolished. This branch was formerly shared with the [[Pensacola streetcar system|Pensacola Streetcar System]], and long after the streetcars disappeared was known as the "Dummy Line", owing to its heritage as a non-electric tram line for Navy Yard workers, with trains pulled by so-called [[Wikipedia:Steam dummy|"steam dummy"]] locomotives. Another branch led to the old [[Frisco passenger station]], a [[Wikipedia:Mission Revival Style architecture|Mission Revival-style]] structure at the corner of [[Garden Street]] and [[Coyle Street]], now the site of a BellSouth facility. [[Frisco locomotive #1355]] is placed at this location in commemoration of the former passenger depot, demolished in [[1967]]. The easement for this branch is clearly visible, parallel to and just south of Garden Street from [[Pace Boulevard]] to the former station site, crossing intervening roads with some rails still embedded. There was also a branch to the [[Armstrong Cork Plant]], which is still in use. The Pensacola Naval Air Station and passenger station branches were mostly inactive by the early to mid 70s with the NAS branch being removed in the mid 70s.
[[Image:FriscoDepot1947.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Frisco passenger station]] circa 1947]]
Frisco operated several excursion trains to Pensacola in late June 1928, but regularly scheduled passenger train service did not begin until [[September 1]], [[1928]]. The new trains were initially Nos. 907-908, operating between Memphis and Pensacola with coaches, a dining car, and [[Wikipedia:Sleeping Car|Pullman]] sleeping car service. Within a few years, the service was redesignated as trains 207-208, operating only between Amory and Pensacola, but with a through Pullman car and coaches carried to and from Memphis in the ''Sunnyland'' (trains 107-108). [[Image:FriscoPassengerTimetable.jpg|thumb|left]] These through cars allowed passengers to board in Pensacola and awaken the next morning in Memphis, without the need of disembarking at Amory to change trains in the middle of the night. Pullman sleeping car service ended on [[January 29]], [[1934]], as a result of ridership declines brought on by the Great Depression. In January 1935, sleeper service was restored with a uniquely designed car, a sleeper-buffet-coach which was operated with Frisco employees, independent of the Pullman Company. Two cars were rebuilt for this service, one named ''Memphis'' and the other named ''Pensacola''. This sleeping car operation between Pensacola and Memphis was discontinued [[November 3]], [[1952]], leaving coach only trains with [[Wikipedia:Railway post office|RPO]] and baggage cars.
[[Image:EndOfFriscoPassengerTrains.jpg|thumb|left]]