Alexandria & Western Railway
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railroad |
| Founded | September 15, 1909 |
| Founder | George F. Cotter |
| Defunct | May 1925 |
| Headquarters | Alexandria , United States |
Key people | George F. Cotter (president) |
| Products | Transportation of lumber, passenger services |
The Alexandria & Western Railway was a local railroad incorporated on September 15, 1909, led by George F. Cotter from Fort Worth, Texas as its president, with financial backing from investors based in Kansas City, Missouri. Its main purpose was to facilitate the transportation of lumber from Alexandria, Louisiana heading west toward Texas, though its tracks only reached as far as Gardner, Louisiana. Construction commenced in early 1913 following the Bayou Rapides Lumber Company's purchase of 8,000 acres along the planned route, securing a reliable source of timber. The ceremonial first spike was driven by Rollo Jarreau.
By the spring of 1914, the railway had introduced passenger services utilizing a 21-foot gasoline-powered railcar operating out of a station located at Second Street and Lee Street in Alexandria.
As of June 30, 1915, the railway recorded an operational deficit amounting to $7,000. In 1916, the Brewer-Neinstadt Lumber Company initiated legal action concerning freight charges for hardwood and cypress shipments between Miltonburg and Alexandria. A hearing held on April 27 upheld the railroad’s freight rate of 4 cents per 100 pounds as comparable to those charged by other Louisiana railroads, resulting in dismissal of the lawsuit.
Persistent financial difficulties culminated in the railway filing for abandonment in May 1925.
Equipment
The railway utilized a 2-6-0 locomotive constructed by the American Locomotive Company at its Schenectady Locomotive Works (Construction #30988) in April 1905. Initially assigned to the Genesee and Wyoming Railroad as road number 7, it was subsequently sold to Binghamton Rail & Loco Co. before being acquired by Alexandria & Western Railway.
Moreover, two Baldwin-built 2-6-0 "Mogul" locomotives (numbers 9 and 10) were manufactured in 1914 expressly for Alexandria & Western. Following the line’s abandonment, locomotive number 9 was transferred to Crossett Lumber—renumbered as either 102 or 103—and later passed on to Frost Lumber Industries.