txrrhistory.com - Interlocking Tower 56
- McGregor, Texas
In 1881, the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway built north out
of Temple to Ft. Worth, passing through the western reaches of
McLennan County. A year later, the Texas & St. Louis
Railroad (predecessor of the "Cotton Belt") built from
Waco to Gatesville, crossing the Santa Fe line at a place that
became known as McGregor, named for a doctor who donated land
for the right-of-way. Its location at a rail junction gave
McGregor an advantage over neighboring towns, and soon, McGregor
was the focal point for commercial activity in the area.
The town continued to grow, exceeding 2,000 population by 1920.
An Army ordnance plant was built southwest of town during
WWII and spur tracks were built into the complex from both railroads.
The ordnance plant was eventually closed and converted to
various other uses including a rocket factory.
The Cotton Belt began to cut back on service over this line during
the Depression and in 1942, abandoned its line west of Gatesville.
Service to Gatesville was curtailed in 1972 when the line
was abandoned west of Lime City, a few miles west of McGregor.
Sometime in the 1980's or early 90's, Cotton Belt service west
of Waco was terminated and the line was mostly abandoned except
for a few spur tracks near the depot. The Santa Fe line
continues as a very active BNSF main line. The tower at McGregor
was built in to the Santa Fe depot located at the diamond. The
depot remains intact today (and is used as the Amtrak station
for Waco), but the tower portion of the depot structure has been
removed. A similar combination depot/tower was built by Santa
Fe at the nearby town of Morgan
(Tower 50).
