Texas State Railroad Society
DEVOTED TO THE HERITAGE OF A 29-MILES LONG RAILROAD IN THE ANDERSON & CHEROKEE COUNTIES OF EAST TEXAS,
THE COMMUNITIES SERVED, AND CONNECTING RAILROADS
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WE ARE...
a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization that aims to enhance the experience of the Texas State Railroad for all.
Whether visitor or volunteer, railfan, researcher or resident, we wish to cater to all whose interests lie in the history, nature, and technology of the Texas State Railroad, and its connections throughout the Piney Woods of East Texas.
OUR MISSION...
(a) to advocate, display, interpret and preserve the Texas
State Railroad and its environs;
(b) to stimulate interest in railroading, and encourage
volunteerism in support of the Railroad and the Society;
(c) to educate the public in the influence of railroading on
the natural and manmade history of the area.
is roughly described geographically by the triangular area in Anderson and Cherokee counties formed by the intersecting railroads that co-existed in the twentieth century, and their connections.
The termini of the Texas State Railroad connected with the International- Great Northern Railroad (I-GN) and the 'Cotton Belt' or St. Louis South Western Railroad (SSW). In turn these railroads connected at Jacksonville, which was later served by the Southern Pacific Railroad in the form of the Texas and New Orleans Railroad. Until the Cotton Belt Railroad became part of the Southern Pacific system, Rusk was also served by a branch line from Gallatin.
At Longview, the International - Great Northern connected to the Texas & Pacific Railroad (T&P), both of which became subsidiaries of the Missouri Pacific Railroad system. Two T&P steam locomotives can be seen at the Texas State Railroad.
OUR AREA OF RAILROAD INTEREST ...
