Birmingham Southern

Company History: Birmingham Southern linked Port Birmingham on the Warrior River and Bessemer to Fairfield and Birmingham, Alabama. Total mileage was about 90. The BS, for most of its long history had been owned by United States Steel and its primary customer had been that company. Raw material was moved from the river docks to the steel mills (Birmingham, Alabama is the Pittsburgh of the South.) The Port Birmingham to Fairfield line had belonged to Federal Barge Line Railroad and was acquired in 1966. In addition to serving the mills, BS served as a general terminal railroad for the Birmingham area.

Their freight car fleet reflected the steel industry with an emphasis on ore cars and mill. The locomotive fleet included around 35 units which is quite a few for a 90 mile line. USS’s successor sold the BS to Transtar and in 2011 Transtar sold the line to the Watco shortline group who rechristened it Birmingham Terminal Railroad.

Successor/Parent History: The Watco shortline group is known for painting locomotives in special schemes for universities and even high schools along their lines. We own or operate over 5,500 miles of short line track in North America and Australia. Our vast network connects to all Class I railroads. You get the most efficient, cost-effective route for your shipment.

Using your locomotives or our own, Watco provides switching services at your manufacturing facility. Our experienced teams improve safety, reduce risks, and minimize costs.

Let Watco take care of your inactive railcars, so you can stay focused on your active fleet. Safely house empty or loaded railcars across our nationwide network of short line railroads and terminals.

Our proactive management, in-transit tracking, and real-time communication let you know where your cars are every minute of every day. And, our scheduled maintenance programs keep your rolling stock rolling.

Brief History: The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.