Texas State Railroad, Palestine, Texas

The Texas State Railroad took us from Palestine, Texas to Rusk, Texas. The ad looks really good online and in their Facebook advertisement. They call it the "quintessential daytrip, only a few hours from the metropolitan communities of Dallas and Houston, will create a memory that will last a lifetime." I picked the "open air car" with bench seats and open windows so we could have a nice breeze on the trip. We were in one of the last two cars and we had to walk through the airconditioned cars with tables set up for the guests to get to our car. I liked the open air cars better because with the bench seats you could sit in both directions as the seat back moved to accommodate this. However, it was noisy there with the wind, train whistle, and kids running back and forth and we could not hear the story told over the speakers. Even with these issues, when we walked through the air conditioned cars the smell from the toilets was almost overwhelming. I don't know if they had to smell it the whole trip, but sitting in the back was worth while.

Palestine Depot

Anyway, was the trip worth it? Well, if you like train rides through the forest with nothing to see on either side of the train except for woods, the occasional field, rivers, and a house with some goats. I took some pictures and will give some background as we take our trip.

With the arrival of the railroad in 1872, the complexion of Palestine changed drastically which led to the demise of paddle-wheel river shipping. By 1896, the railroad had become a vital economic force with stores, saloons, and lodging houses rapidly creating a new business district. In 1881 prisoners from the East Texas Penitentiary built 1.3 miles of railroad track. In 1909 the final ties were laid, connecting Rusk with Palestine.

Over a century later, the Texas State Railroad transports passengers back in time to when steam locomotives were king and diesel power was in its infancy. Each season, with the spring blooms of Dogwoods or the autumn red of Sumacs, is more sensational because it's viewed from a train. Passengers board comfortable early 1900 coaches and travel along gently rolling hills passing over 24 bridges (one over 1,000 feet long). Unusual railroad structures, such as the locomotive turntable located midway, dot the historic route. Music and points of interest compliment the scenic excursion. 

The Neches River Bridge is the longest span on the railroad and crosses one of Texas' most historic river. The bridge is 1,042 feet long and 35 feet high. The original wooden structure was replaced with the concrete bridge in 1982. It was at this site that Native American and early Anglo settlers crossed the river at Duty Crossing, named for early settler Richard Duty. The Ben Cannon Ferry, operated until 1851 was the first documented in Cherokee County Commissioners court records in 1848. A toll bridge north of the ferry site operated from 1854 to 1924, just north of where the Texas State Railroad crosses the Neches.

Neches River

Petticoat Junction

Maydelle was established in 1910 primarily because of the railroad, is the only remaining community along the line. It is presently home to the 1880s Maydelle Turntable, a rare example of railroad technology showcasing how heavy and massive locomotives balancing on a table can be rotated with compressed air.

Along the route we passed a small farm with a bunch of goats. They were fun to look at - jumping around and standing in the big tires.

After sitting on the train for 1-1/2 hours, we arrived at the Rusk station, which is located about two miles from the City of Rusk. It is the county seat of Cherokee County and birthplace of the Texas State Railroad. The depot was built in the 1970s to resemble a 1920 Vicytorian-style depot. In the late 1880s, the Texas Prison System built a short rail line to hardwood timber stands where charcoal was made for use in firing the prison's iron ore smelting furnaces. This line was the foundation of the Texas State Railroad, organized in 1894 to make the prison more self-sufficient by providing new markets for prison products. Two Texas governors, James Hogg and Thomas M. Campbell, both natives of Cherokee County, were instrumental in the railroad's development. Built by inmates and supervised by the state prison system, the line was completed 30 miles west to Palestine in 1909.

Rusk Station

We stayed in Rusk for about an hour during which time we went to the Commissary and ordered lunch. They actually had some good food. Jim got a hotdog, chips and a beer (they had craft beers for $3), and I got a chicken salad sandwich with chips and a water. The chicken salad was very good (no raw onions!). We sat outside at a picnic table and shared it with a family traveling together. We sat and talked with them through lunch; one lady was down from Oregon visiting and she was intrigued with our travels. She has an RV but does not full time. Jim gave her a card and she wanted to know our three best and three worst things about RVing. She then came into our car and took our picture so she could post it on her FB page.

Concession Train

Picnic Area

On our way back through the city of Maydelle, I saw a policeman (white SUV) sitting in his car so I stuck my arm out the window and waved to him giving him a thumb's up, and the next thing I saw was that he left his station and moved to the street where the train was going by.

Engines 201; 300; 610; 400 and 500

No. 500, once Santa Fe 1316

Built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1911, engine 500 began its career with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway wearing number 1316. It was originally built as a compound steam engine. The design proved to be mechanically unreliable and the locomotive was converted into a standard steam engine in 1923. The 1316 was primarily used on fast passenger trains and saw service over most of West Texas. As the golden age of steam railroading drew to a close in the late 1940s, this powerful steam engine was reduced to pulling local freight trains as the newcomer diesels began taking over its job of fast freight and passenger service. 

No. 300

Engine No. 300 has a unique history. It's name has been changed to No. 28. It is one of two surviving U.S. Army's Pershing engines named after General John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, who was famous as the commander of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) on the Western Front from 1917-18 during WWI. Fortunately, the locomotive stayed on U.S. soil, and served the Camp Polk Army Base in Leesville, LA. 

Open Air Coach