Postcard depicting QA&P Alco FA's, etc., hauling freight between Quanah and Floydada, Texas.
(Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway, via W. Lenheim Collection)
QUANAH, ACME AND PACIFIC RAILWAY
Quanah, Acme and Pacific Railway (QA&P) was a 117-mile (188 km) freight railroad that operated between the Red River and Floydada, Texas, from 1902 until it was merged into the Burlington Northern Railroad in 1981.
The former Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway Depot is now a museum in Quanah, Texas.
(Leaflet, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
History
On May 3, 1902, the line was incorporated as the Acme, Red River and Northern Railway. The founders' original, never-realized plans were to extend the line 500 miles (800 km) from the Red River to El Paso, Texas.
On January 28, 1909, the railroad assumed the name of the Quanah, Acme and Pacific. One of the largest shareholders was Harry Koch.
In 1911, the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway assumed control of the QA&P.
On June 8, 1981, the QA&P was merged into the Burlington Northern Railroad, which had merged the QA&P's corporate parent, the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway, on November 21, 1980.
The Burlington Northern Railroad abandoned the former QA&P line west of Paducah in 1982.
Map of the Quanah, Acme and Pacific Route and connections.
(Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway, via W. Lenheim Collection)
Traffic
Freight stops on the QA&P were Red River, Carnes, Quanah, Acme, Lazare, Swearingen, Paducah, Narcisso, Summit (Motley County), Russellville, Roaring Springs, MacBain, Dougherty, Boothe Spur, and Floydada. In 1925, QA&P reported 8 million ton-miles of revenue freight on 91 miles of line; in 1944, it had 51 million and in 1967, 130 million, both on 120 route-miles.
However, QA&P's traffic mostly was overhead freight — between the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway at the Red River and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway at Floydada. Starting in the 1960s, the QLA freight train via Floydada was scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles 38½-to-40 hours after leaving Tulsa. The railroad's traffic diminished after 1973 when overhead trade took a shorter route via Avard, OK.
Postcard photo of QA&P 2-10-0 No. 1628 hauling freight, circa 1947.
(Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway, via W. Lenheim Collection)
QA&P Motor Car No. A3 provided local passenger and freight service, July 15, 1915.
(E.C. Kropp Co., Milwaukee, WI, Public domain, via W. Lenheim Collection)
Overview
Dates of operation: 1902–1981
Predecessor: Acme, Red River and Northern Railway
Successor: Burlington Northern Railroad
A Quanah, Acme and Pacific Postcard Gallery
Freight-hauling QA&P locomotive No. 1626, a 2-10-0 commonly used on the line. (Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway, via W. Lenheim Collection)
The Quanah Route underpass near Quanah, Texas, built 1930. (Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway, via W. Lenheim Collection)
The main line of the Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway. A rare cattle crossing can be seen in the distance. (Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway, via W. Lenheim Collection)
The famous Roaring Springs, Pure water flowing 1,000 gallons per minute, located on the Quanah, Acme and Pacific Railway Line. (Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway, via W. Lenheim Collection)
The line of the Quanah, Acme & Pacific approaching the Staked Plains of West Texas near Doughtery, Texas. (Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway, via W. Lenheim Collection)
Q. A. & P. Doubleheader of Transcontinental freight. (Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway, via W. Lenheim Collection)
A Q. A. & P. snow plow keeping the line open for business as usual. (Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway, via W. Lenheim Collection)
Quanah, Acme & Pacific General Office Building, Quanah, Texas. (Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway, via W. Lenheim Collection)
A cattle crossing on the ballasted main line. In January of 1962, there were only 30 of these crossings remaining in the entire United States. (Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway, via W. Lenheim Collection)
QA&P 2-10-0 No. 1613 at Quanah Junction. These locomotives were commonly used for freight on the line. (Quanah, Acme & Pacific Railway, via W. Lenheim Collection)
