Alabama, Florida and Gulf Railroad facts for kids
The Alabama, Florida and Gulf Railroad was a railway line that connected Ardilla, Alabama to Greenwood, Florida. It started as a small railroad used for moving logs.
How the Railroad Began
This railroad began its life as a "logging railroad." This means it was built to help move cut trees (logs) from forests to sawmills. The E.L. Marbury Lumber Company, located in Dothan, Alabama, owned this first version of the railway.
The original line ran from Ardilla, Alabama, to Malone, Florida. The lumber company had a sawmill in Malone, where they would turn the logs into lumber.
Changes and New Names
In 1910, the E.L. Marbury Lumber Company officially created the railroad company. They named it the Alabama, Florida and Southern Railroad.
Later, in 1917, a person named W. S. Wilson bought the railroad. He changed its name to the Alabama, Florida and Gulf Railroad. Mr. Wilson also made the railway longer. He extended the tracks from Malone all the way to Greenwood.
Financial Troubles and End of the Line
The railroad faced financial difficulties in 1924. It was put into a special process called "receivership." This happens when a company has money problems and a court appoints someone to manage it.
After some time, the railroad was sold because of unpaid debts. The Bank of Dothan bought it. However, that bank also ran into financial trouble.
In 1936, the railroad was sold again for $10,000. Its name changed one last time to the Alabama and Florida Railroad. At this point, the main vehicle used on the tracks was a special kind of train called a diesel railbus.
The Alabama and Florida Railroad stopped running completely in 1941. All of its equipment was sold for scrap metal.
