Pontchartrain Railroad
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1830 |
| Headquarters | New Orleans , United States |
| Products | Passenger and freight rail transport |
Pontchartrain Rail-Road holds the distinction of being New Orleans' inaugural railway, established by charter in 1830 and commencing operations in April 1831. This line connected the Mississippi River waterfront with Lake Pontchartrain, serving the region for more than one hundred years.
The railway extended from the Faubourg Marigny district along the riverfront to Milneburg on the lakefront, following Elysian Fields Avenue. Initially, much of the track passed through undeveloped swampland and farmland. It was the third common carrier railroad established in the United States, after the Baltimore and Ohio and the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company.
Early history
The concept for the railway took shape in 1828, leading to its chartering in January 1830 and subsequent approval by the city council in March of that year. Construction commenced promptly, featuring dual tracks laid on a 150-foot-wide embankment built over swampy terrain that required up to four feet of fill material. The rails rested on red cypress sleepers and utilized English rolled iron rails. The line officially opened on April 23, 1831, initially employing horse-drawn cars.
In June 1832, the first steam locomotive named "the Shields" arrived but proved unreliable. A more dependable locomotive imported from England, called "the Pontchartrain," began consistent steam-powered operations by September 1832, providing seven daily round trips and nine on Sundays. The "Shields" was subsequently dismantled to supply parts for maintenance.
Passenger rates began at seventy-five cents for a round trip but later adjusted to fifteen cents one way and twenty-five cents for a return journey. Both horse-drawn and steam-powered cars operated simultaneously for several years; horse-drawn service continued until 1861 despite having five operational locomotives.
This railroad was crucial for transferring freight between ocean-going vessels docked at Lake Pontchartrain and riverboats on the Mississippi, as well as ferrying passengers arriving via lake routes into New Orleans.
The route featured terminals at both ends and an intermediate request stop at Gentilly Road. In 1871, ownership transferred to the New Orleans, Mobile and Texas Railroad; later leased in 1880 and acquired outright in 1881 by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad.
Passenger rail service ceased in 1932 when buses supplanted trains on the Milneburg-New Orleans corridor.
The line switches from shipping to recreation
Toward the end of the 19th century, the Pontchartrain Railroad's role in commercial shipping waned as larger vessels bypassed lakefront ports and expansive long-distance rail networks developed. Nevertheless, it gained significance as a leisure route, especially for summer trips from New Orleans to the recreational areas at Milneburg.
In the early decades of the 20th century, fares were set at ten cents per adult one way and five cents per child, with round-trip tickets costing twice those amounts.
The steam locomotive "Smoky Mary," along with its counterpart "Puffing Billy," became iconic fixtures remembered fondly by generations of New Orleanians as they operated into the 1930s.
Final years
Recreational travel sustained operations through much of the mid-1920s. Subsequently, competition from electric streetcars and growing automobile ownership diminished demand for short-distance rail travel. The closure of Milneburg’s resort facilities combined with a land reclamation initiative that filled parts of Lake Pontchartrain’s shallow areas during the late 1920s and early 1930s further reduced traffic. The final passenger train ran on March 15, 1932, concluding over a century of continuous service.
Freight operations persisted until 1935, mainly supporting lakefront reclamation efforts that ultimately rendered the railway obsolete.