Apalachicola Northern Railroad
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Railroad |
| Founded | April 7, 1903 |
| Defunct | September 1, 2002 |
| Fate | Operations leased to AN Railway |
| Headquarters | Florida Panhandle , United States |
Area served | Florida Panhandle |
| Owner | St. Joe Company (until 2002) |
| Parent | St. Joe Company (until 2002) |
The Apalachicola Northern Railroad functioned as a short-line railroad within the Florida Panhandle, operating a route connecting Port Saint Joe, Florida and Chattahoochee, Florida, along with a branch line extending to Apalachicola, Florida. Established in 1903, the railroad discontinued its operations in 2002 when its parent company, the St. Joe Company, leased the track to the AN Railway.
History
The railroad was officially chartered on April 7, 1903, with construction commencing in March 1905. Service initially began running northward from Apalachicola in 1907. By May 1910, the line was extended to reach Port St. Joe. Throughout its early decades, the company faced financial instability, entering receivership on three occasions between 1907 and 1936.
In 1933, control of the railroad passed to industrialist Alfred I. du Pont, who also became owner of the town of Port St. Joe. The railroad’s main client was the St. Joe Paper Company mill located in Port St. Joe, which was under ownership of the Alfred I. duPont Testamentary Trust from 1936 until 1996. Management of the railroad transferred to the paper company in 1940 under Edward Ball’s leadership. Following the sale of the paper company in 1996, ownership reverted to the St. Joe Company.
On September 1, 2002, operation of the line was leased to AN Railway, a Rail Management Corporation subsidiary, which took possession of all locomotives and related equipment. Since that time, the Apalachicola Northern Railroad has ceased functioning as an active carrier, although the St. Joe Company continues to own the rail infrastructure.