grande man
Bonafied Grande Nut
After a recent trip to locate a long forgotten railroad tunnel, I thought it might be interesting to take a look back at a cool shortline railroad from the industrial past of Birmingham, Ala. If you like history, please jump in and let's take a trip back in time...
Before we start I'd like to say that my images will need to be posted as links due to copyright issues. The images are officially registered with the copyright office and because I have had recent issues (elsewhere on the web) it is probably best to just post links to my galleries. I apologize for any inconvenience in advance and hope you will enjoy the images.
In February 1899 the regional industrial giant Tennessee Coal, Iron and RR company (TCI) formed the Birmingham Southern Railroad Company and consolidated its rail operations under that corporate name. Only a few months later TCI sold the new railroad to the Louisville & Nashville (L&N) and Southern (SRR) who each acquired a 50% interest. The railroad remained under joint L&N / SRR control until TCI again purchased the line in 1906. The road still operates today under its parent company, Transtar, which is owned by US Steel. Today's Birmingham Southern operates partly over yesteryears Ensley Southern trackage to Port Birmingham, approximately 20 miles from the Birmingham suburb of Ensley.
By 1900 the SRR and L&N were each looking for ways to tap the lucrative Warrior coal fields northwest of Birmingham to supply fuel for the town's rapidly expanding iron and steel industry. The SRR proposed building the Ensley Southern into the Warrior fields while the L&N proposed a line west from its S&NA mainline near Cullman, Al. Because of the mountainous terrain and high expense involved, both roads soon realized that a joint trackage agreement might be mutually beneficial and signed an agreement to build the Ensley Southern with the L&N having trackage rights over the line. This agreement was short lived as soon both parties agreed to go their separate ways. The SRR built and operated the Ensley Southern and the L&N changed its initial plans and built the Cain Creek Branch from Black Creek (Boyles Yard in Tarrant, Al) into the Warrior fields and ultimately all the way to Maxine (our area of interest in this thread).
Under SRR ownership the Ensley Southern opened for business from Ensley to Port Birmingham in 1902. The SRR planned to extend the line and tie into its mainline at Parrish (15 miles as the crow flys), running right though the heart of the Warrior coal fields. An extension to the first coal mine to be served was completed to the Maxine mine in early 1908. Maxine was owned by the coal mining powerhouse, Pratt Consolidated Coal Company. To get the short distance from old Port Birmingham to Maxine required a 900 foot steel bridge over the Black Warrior River, several smaller bridges across ravines feeding the river and a tunnel. The extension was built to mainline standards but was never completed past the mines at Maxine.
About 10 years ago I was discussing the 1908 Ensley Southern tunnel with Ron Mele, author of "Birmingham Southern Company, the First Century".The historic summary above was made possible by referencing Ron's book. Neither of us knew the exact location of the tunnel but we knew the area was probably very overgrown. The tunnel has been in the back of my mind ever since.
For years I have visited historic mining areas along the L&N's defunct Cain Creek Branch, but never got around to looking for the Ensley Southern tunnel near the old coal mining town of Maxine. Well, recently that changed... With the help of satellite maps, topo maps, historic mining maps from 1913-1923, Ron's great book on the Birmingham Southern, and three wonderful retired local folks I set out to find the tunnel and tell its story. As it turns out, the tunnel is much more elaborate than I thought it would be. It has brick construction that appears to be overcoated with concrete.
While visiting the area, I met several folks that have helped provide information. One fellow (81 years young) had lived in he area his whole life. The tunnel is on his hunting lease and he wondered what my son, friend and I were doing there. As it turned out, he has historic photos of the tunnel AND an Ensley Southern train wreck on the eastern approach to the tunnel, circa 1909. They put one in the river (see the slideshow)!
A very interesting fact (at least to a mining history geek like me) is that Pratt Consolidated's successor, Alabama By-Products (ABC), operated a "new" mine at Maxine from the early 1950s (an image of the portal is in the slideshow). It was reached via the L&N by an extension of a leg of the wye at the end of the Cain Creek Branch at a mine called Praco. (this may be a good time for a link to a Praco image I shot on one of the recent trips). http://ericmcferrin.smugmug.com/IndustrialHistory-1/Industrial-History/10342161_84PdU#1216720320_6upzk-XL-LB
I have been informed by three knowledgeable folks that ABC actually drove headings into the mountain from inside the old Ensley Southern tunnel and mined coal! I am unaware of anything similar to that by a major mining company in the area.
A map of the area. Abandoned Ensley Southern right-of-way is in red. I have walked all of the ROW on this map. It is through very rugged, overgrown terrain. After viewing the map, please click on the link that follows for a slideshow photo tour of the area, including the interior of the old tunnel and historic photos.
http://ericmcferrin.smugmug.com/pho...-History-3/17163927_HRj34h#1300977167_65gnNS2
Before we start I'd like to say that my images will need to be posted as links due to copyright issues. The images are officially registered with the copyright office and because I have had recent issues (elsewhere on the web) it is probably best to just post links to my galleries. I apologize for any inconvenience in advance and hope you will enjoy the images.
In February 1899 the regional industrial giant Tennessee Coal, Iron and RR company (TCI) formed the Birmingham Southern Railroad Company and consolidated its rail operations under that corporate name. Only a few months later TCI sold the new railroad to the Louisville & Nashville (L&N) and Southern (SRR) who each acquired a 50% interest. The railroad remained under joint L&N / SRR control until TCI again purchased the line in 1906. The road still operates today under its parent company, Transtar, which is owned by US Steel. Today's Birmingham Southern operates partly over yesteryears Ensley Southern trackage to Port Birmingham, approximately 20 miles from the Birmingham suburb of Ensley.
By 1900 the SRR and L&N were each looking for ways to tap the lucrative Warrior coal fields northwest of Birmingham to supply fuel for the town's rapidly expanding iron and steel industry. The SRR proposed building the Ensley Southern into the Warrior fields while the L&N proposed a line west from its S&NA mainline near Cullman, Al. Because of the mountainous terrain and high expense involved, both roads soon realized that a joint trackage agreement might be mutually beneficial and signed an agreement to build the Ensley Southern with the L&N having trackage rights over the line. This agreement was short lived as soon both parties agreed to go their separate ways. The SRR built and operated the Ensley Southern and the L&N changed its initial plans and built the Cain Creek Branch from Black Creek (Boyles Yard in Tarrant, Al) into the Warrior fields and ultimately all the way to Maxine (our area of interest in this thread).
Under SRR ownership the Ensley Southern opened for business from Ensley to Port Birmingham in 1902. The SRR planned to extend the line and tie into its mainline at Parrish (15 miles as the crow flys), running right though the heart of the Warrior coal fields. An extension to the first coal mine to be served was completed to the Maxine mine in early 1908. Maxine was owned by the coal mining powerhouse, Pratt Consolidated Coal Company. To get the short distance from old Port Birmingham to Maxine required a 900 foot steel bridge over the Black Warrior River, several smaller bridges across ravines feeding the river and a tunnel. The extension was built to mainline standards but was never completed past the mines at Maxine.
About 10 years ago I was discussing the 1908 Ensley Southern tunnel with Ron Mele, author of "Birmingham Southern Company, the First Century".The historic summary above was made possible by referencing Ron's book. Neither of us knew the exact location of the tunnel but we knew the area was probably very overgrown. The tunnel has been in the back of my mind ever since.
For years I have visited historic mining areas along the L&N's defunct Cain Creek Branch, but never got around to looking for the Ensley Southern tunnel near the old coal mining town of Maxine. Well, recently that changed... With the help of satellite maps, topo maps, historic mining maps from 1913-1923, Ron's great book on the Birmingham Southern, and three wonderful retired local folks I set out to find the tunnel and tell its story. As it turns out, the tunnel is much more elaborate than I thought it would be. It has brick construction that appears to be overcoated with concrete.
While visiting the area, I met several folks that have helped provide information. One fellow (81 years young) had lived in he area his whole life. The tunnel is on his hunting lease and he wondered what my son, friend and I were doing there. As it turned out, he has historic photos of the tunnel AND an Ensley Southern train wreck on the eastern approach to the tunnel, circa 1909. They put one in the river (see the slideshow)!
A very interesting fact (at least to a mining history geek like me) is that Pratt Consolidated's successor, Alabama By-Products (ABC), operated a "new" mine at Maxine from the early 1950s (an image of the portal is in the slideshow). It was reached via the L&N by an extension of a leg of the wye at the end of the Cain Creek Branch at a mine called Praco. (this may be a good time for a link to a Praco image I shot on one of the recent trips). http://ericmcferrin.smugmug.com/IndustrialHistory-1/Industrial-History/10342161_84PdU#1216720320_6upzk-XL-LB
I have been informed by three knowledgeable folks that ABC actually drove headings into the mountain from inside the old Ensley Southern tunnel and mined coal! I am unaware of anything similar to that by a major mining company in the area.
A map of the area. Abandoned Ensley Southern right-of-way is in red. I have walked all of the ROW on this map. It is through very rugged, overgrown terrain. After viewing the map, please click on the link that follows for a slideshow photo tour of the area, including the interior of the old tunnel and historic photos.
http://ericmcferrin.smugmug.com/pho...-History-3/17163927_HRj34h#1300977167_65gnNS2
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