Deadwood Central Railroad
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | August 20, 1888 |
| Founder | J.K.P. Miller and partners |
| Fate | Closed, replaced by truck transportation |
| Headquarters | Deadwood , United States |
Area served | Black Hills, South Dakota |
| Products | Rail transportation (passenger and freight) |
Number of employees | Not specified (operated six locomotives) |
| Parent | Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (from 1893) |
The Deadwood Central Railroad (DCRX) was a narrow gauge railway located in South Dakota, established in 1888 by J.K.P. Miller, a Deadwood local, along with partners to support mining activities within the Black Hills. By 1928, the railroad extended roughly .
History
The company was formed on August 20, 1888, and received its charter the next month, originally designed to link Deadwood with Lead City. In 1893, ownership transferred to the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad, which operated as a division of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q), yet the line retained the Deadwood Central designation.
Passenger service saw electrification in 1902 on the segment connecting Lead and Deadwood, utilizing narrow gauge interurban cars. The section between Pluma and Deadwood featured dual gauge tracks incorporating CB&Q’s standard gauge rails. This electric passenger operation ceased in 1924 due to financial losses and aging equipment, following authorization from the Interstate Commerce Commission. By 1904, all operations were unified under the CB&Q banner.
Throughout its existence, the railroad managed nearly of track and employed six locomotives. The economic downturn following the 1929 stock market crash precipitated the railroad’s closure in 1930, with truck transportation taking its place. That same year, one locomotive was scrapped; another was leased to the Colorado and Southern Railway before being dismantled in 1939.
The Deadwood Central name briefly reappeared during the 1948-49 Chicago Railroad Fair as part of a gauge excursion train provided by CB&Q. This train utilized restored historic rolling stock and later became incorporated into the Black Hills Central Railroad collection in 1956, though the original Deadwood Central branding was not preserved.
See also
References
- Defunct South Dakota railroads
- 3 ft gauge railways in the United States
- Narrow-gauge railroads in South Dakota
- Interurban railways in South Dakota
- Electric railways in South Dakota
- Railway companies established in 1888
- Railway companies disestablished in 1893
- Predecessors of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
- Deadwood, South Dakota
- Railway lines closed in 1930
- Railway lines opened in 1888
- American companies established in 1888
- 1888 establishments in Dakota Territory