Mississippian Railway

Company History: The MSRW opened in 1924 to move lumber and general freight from Fulton to a connection with the Frisco in Amory, Mississippi, a distance of 25 miles. During the Second World War, a large bentonite clay deposit was discovered which contributed greatly to traffic on the line. In fact, they adopted the nickname “The Bentonite Road” as a result. The bentonite ran out in 1968 but other customers moved in including a copper products company. Mississippian operated with a pair of 2-8-0’s well into the 1960s. Number 77, a former Frisco engine built in 1920 wasn’t sold off until 1968. In the late 70s, the line was nearly abandoned, not for lack of traffic but because it was in the way of construction of the Tennessee – Tombigbee Waterway. Local interests won the day and the railroad was saved. Today, the MSRW runs three days per week, moving 8 to 10 cars on a typical operating day.

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.