www.txrrhistory.com - Interlocking Tower
171 - Acme, Texas
For much of the 20th century, Acme, Texas was one of the largest
plaster production centers in the US, located in an area of large
gypsum mines. Plaster products moved efficiently by rail, and
the Ft. Worth & Denver City Railway served Acme on its main
line between Ft. Worth and Amarillo constructed in 1887. One of
the two major plaster companies, the Acme Plaster Co., felt constrained
by the rates and services provided by the FW&DC. In 1902,
the owner, Samuel Lazarus, founded his own railroad, the Acme,
Red River & Northern Railroad (ARR&N), as a means of bypassing
the FW&DC. The ARR&N proposed to build a line to Quanah
which would enable Lazarus to move his gypsum products to a connection
there with the Frisco, which was building a rail line into Quanah
from Oklahoma. Instead of building the new line, an agreement
was reached with the FW&DC to grant rights to the ARR&N
to switch both plaster companies including trackage rights into
Quanah on the FW&DC.
The ARR&N was re-chartered in 1909 as the Quanah, Acme
& Pacific Railway and announced plans to expand west to serve
growing agricultural regions near Paducah, Roaring Springs and
Floydada. Within a few years, the QA&P came under Frisco ownership,
but continued to operate as a separate entity. In 1928, as a result
of a dispute with the FW&D, the QA&P proceeded to build
its own line into Quanah from Acme. This resulted in a crossing
of the FW&D main line by the QA&P at Acme. Shortly thereafter,
around 1931, the Tower 171 interlocking was established to control
this crossing. It is not known whether a manned tower structure
was located at this site.
Both the Frisco and the FW&D were eventually absorbed into
the Burlington system, and the QA&P was abandoned in the late
70s and early 80s. The rail line between Acme and Quanah was retained
to provide a
long double track, but the line west of Tower 171 was abandoned.
Historic Photo of Interlocker 171
We would like to have a historic photo showing the tower at this
location.
If you have any information regarding a source for a photo, please
contact us. |
Modern Photo - Tower 171
Photo by Jim King
Facing east, with the US287 overpass in the background, the interlocker
cabinet at the site of Tower 171 still says 'Acme' on the sign.
Under the overpass, the former QA&P main line is visible in
the center of the photo angling into the BNSF (ex-FW&D) line
as it comes west. Before the QA&P was abandoned in the 1980s,
the crossing diamond was located about where the cabinet now sits,
crossing the FW&D at a small angle. During abandonment, the
QA&P was left intact between Tower 171 and Quanah to provide
a long double track for BN.
Tower 171 Location Map
Map by Jim King
