Blacklands Railroad
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The Blacklands Railroad (reporting mark BLR) is a short-line railroad headquartered in Sulphur Springs, Texas. The name comes from the "black gumbo" soil prevalent in the area.
BLR operates a 65.6 mile line, under contract with the Northeast Texas Rural Transportation District (NETEX), a political subdivision of the state of Texas (which holds title to the land and assets), from Greenville, Texas (where it interchanges with Kansas City Southern, through Sulphur Springs (with another KCS interchange) and Mount Vernon, Texas to the Franklin/Titus county line; from this point BLR operates via Union Pacific trackage rights to Mount Pleasant, Texas where it interchanges with Union Pacific (UP).[1]
BLR traffic includes forest products, grain, and agricultural products.
NETEX purchased the segment between Greenville and Sulphur Springs in 1995 (from the Southern Pacific), and the remainder of the line in 2000 (from the Union Pacific). BLR received the contract to operate the line in 1999.
The railroad also owns Reader Railroad #108, a 2-6-2 prairie type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in January 1920 for the San Augustine County Lumber Co. It was later sold to the Angelina & Neches River Railroad before it was sold to the Reader Railroad in 1956. In 1972, #108 starred in the film Boxcar Bertha. After retirement from revenue service in the early 1970s, #108 was later sold to the Conway Scenic Railroad where it operated until 1986 due to mechanical issues. It was later sold to the Blacklands Railroad in 1999 and is currently awaiting restoration.