Historic Houston Railroad Companies, Railways, Spurs, Depots, & Stations

[Specwriter]

Hate to self bump but does anyone have or know where I could find older railroad maps of Houston. I'm looking specifically for a map of the Texas and Western Narrow Gauge which ran through present day George Bush Park.

I suggest looking in the archives in the Texas Room of the Houston Public Library.

[SpaceGhost]

I suggest looking in the archives in the Texas Room of the Houston Public Library.

Thanks! I will check that out. By the way has anyone gotten a chance to download the maps?

[editor]

Hi SpaceGhost!  Sorry about the file attachment problem.  No one's ever (to my knowledge) tried to share a Google Earth file on HAIF before.

 

I have added KML and KMZ file support to the forum, so you should be able to attach those files now.  I've attached your original file to this message.

 

Abandoned Railroads of Texas.kmz

[SpaceGhost]

Thanks editor!

[editor]

Thanks editor!

 

No problem.  Feel free to share more cool maps like this one.

[etheriemma]

My mother has researched old Texas railroads in the past.  I know she has some maps and has done a lot of research at the Texas Room of the old downtown Houston Public Library but that was back in the 1970s-'90s.

 

Back during the 1970s, we walked through the forest about a mile from the Macedonia Cemetary (near Magnolia, Texas) and found the iron tracks of an old rail line there in the woods.  We were using a map showing the old train line and were trying to find the tracks and we did!

[RonB]

Hi SpaceGhost!  Sorry about the file attachment problem.  No one's ever (to my knowledge) tried to share a Google Earth file on HAIF before.

 

I have added KML and KMZ file support to the forum, so you should be able to attach those files now.  I've attached your original file to this message.

 

Abandoned Railroads of Texas.kmz

 

when i open this i just get the google earth home page

[sinister1]

I would like to know what the section of old rail road on Yale under I-10 is, well what's left of it.

[Ross]

There's nothing under I-10 any longer. The only thing left is the bridge over the bayou, which can't be removed without a huge study on the downstream flood impacts. The right of way to the South, along Yale, was sold a while back, either to the City or to the adjacent property owners. I had looked all of that up last year, but can't find my notes.

[Capomatic01]

I live on the west side and noticed an abandoned railroad grade going north crossing Synott and West Park.  I used the history feature on Google Earth to find a there once was a factory (?) near the corner of Westheimer and Synott that had a siding that ran from Southern Pacific line north to the facility.  I am wondering what that was and why did it need a siding?

[Ross]

There was an Uncle Ben's factory out there at Westheimer and Synott. It was built in 1962, I don't know when it was demolished.

[SpaceGhost]

I live on the west side and noticed an abandoned railroad grade going north crossing Synott and West Park.  I used the history feature on Google Earth to find a there once was a factory (?) near the corner of Westheimer and Synott that had a siding that ran from Southern Pacific line north to the facility.  I am wondering what that was and why did it need a siding?

 

The spur went to the Uncle Ben's Factory. The factory was torn down in the 80's Mars the owner of Uncle Ben's retained ownership of the property until 2005 and didn't even place it on the market until 2000 long after new construction on the property had begun.

 

It should be noted that in my map most sidings, spurs etc. have not yet been added.

[Capomatic01]

Thanks...I moved to Houston in 1984 but lived inside the loop until 1988...never really visited the far west side till then.

[SpaceGhost]

Thanks...I moved to Houston in 1984 but lived inside the loop until 1988...never really visited the far west side till then.

 

Haha no problem! To be honest I wasn't even born in 1984. Although this was around the time my parents where looking for property on the west side of town. Most of the info I found was through news paper posts.

[Bulldoggy]

Ah, so I assume the Uncle Bens plant was on the land that was a driving range for a long time. I always wondered why the parking lot was ginormous for a driving range. Alas, it is gone and is now apartments.

[yak23flora]

Digging up an old thread because of new images in Google maps historic views confrms what I remember seeing. The old Sears warehouse on Allen Parkway was served by a spur from the north that crossed the bayou, I remember the bridge back in the 80s and have a photo of it somewhere with its Southern Pacific emblem. Rail service seems to have ceased long before though. There is little evidence that the spur was ever there.

[etheriemma]

Railroad History Program

 

As part of the Bellaire City Library’s Summer Reading Club activities, a Houston author and railroad history expert will present a special Saturday family program on July 27 from 3-4 p.m. Doug Weiskopf, historian of the Gulf Coast Chapter of the National Railway Historical Association will discuss local rail development as presented in his book Rails Around Houston.  Whether interested in big engines or small models, this program will appeal to all.

 

 

 

Weiskopf was born in Jacinto City and graduated from Baylor University. His interest in local history served him well in his position of Senior Library Services Specialist in the Texas Room of the Houston Public Library. Today he keeps in touch with all levels of railroad enthusiasm and enthusiasts by working part-time at Papa Ben’s Train Place on Bellaire Blvd. 

 

The Railroad History program will be given at the Bellaire City Library, 5111 Jessamine. For more info call Terri Mote, Reference Librarian, at (713) 662-8166.