The history of this division starts back in the 1920's when the Chicago Pacific Railroad (CHIP) [Author's note: any resemblance of the CHIP to the CRIP is purely intentional] had a tight grip on all shipping in south central Oklahoma. The local shippers along the old Chisholm Trail were being robbed right and left for all shipments going out by rail. The Chicago Pacific charged reasonable fees for setting out a car to be loaded, but once that car was loaded, they wanted an unreasonable amount to pick it up again. And if the shipment was bound for a destination off the CHIP, hang on to your company checkbook! Their off line transfer fees were outrageous. As a result of all this price gouging, what little freight that was being shipped by rail was not very profitable for the shippers. Since the oil boom was in full swing, this was really putting the squeeze on the local oil producers.
The shippers along the Chisholm Trail pleaded with the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe (GC&SF), located approximately 20 - 30 miles to the east to extend the Pauls Valley and/or Ardmore branches to serve Duncan and the other communities north of there along the Chisholm Trail route, but their pleas went unanswered. This left the shippers but one alternative - build their own short line to connect to the Santa Fe at Pauls Valley and Ardmore, and the Frisco (SLSW) Railroad at Indian Junction (Chickasha).
The Chisholm Trail Railroad Company (CTRR) was incorporated in late 1926 to better serve the local interests, and provide competition to the CHIP by building an alternative route for the local industries in south central Oklahoma. And build they did, paralleling the CHIP at a distance of about five miles to the east. From Duncan, they built southeast to connect to the Santa Fe spur from Ardmore. Building north from Duncan, they laid 22 miles of track to Melonville (Rush Springs). From there, the track runs about 15 miles farther north to Indian Junction (Chickasha), where they established an interchange with the Frisco. There the tracks turn east and run about 22 miles to Washita Siding (Lindsay) where they connect to the existing Santa Fe spur from Pauls Valley. The main offices of the CTRR were located in Duncan, along with a moderate sized classification yard and engine servicing facilities.
Well, needless to say, after spending a little over two years raising capital and building the railroad, the CTRR was not in a very stable financial condition. Oh, they prospered somewhat during 1928 and through most of 1929, but the CHIP started lowering their rates below costs, and that kept the CTRR from really being able to make substantial interest payments on the hundreds of thousands of dollars of outstanding bonds sold to make construction possible. When the stock market crash hit in October of 1929, the CTRR was forced to declare bankruptcy.
The Santa Fe had taken notice of the large number of carloads coming onto their line at Washita Siding and Ardmore, and realized that if the CHIP was allowed to assume operation of the CTRR that this source of revenue would cease. Well, the Santa Fe and the Chicago Pacific got into a bidding war for the little CTRR. Both roads wanted to keep the other from getting the CTRR, but neither of them could afford the money for a protracted legal battle. Since the Santa Fe was in better shape financially, they finally were able to purchase the CTRR for approximately thirty cents on the dollar for the outstanding bonds. This was added to the GC&SF as the Duncan District, commonly known as the Duncan Branch. Santa Fe established interchanges with the Chicago Pacific at Indian Junction and Duncan several years after they took over the line.
Well, as time went by, the division's prosperity expanded and contracted. During various periods in its existence, the rail traffic varied from a single mixed freight per day to supporting two locals per day in each direction, plus two passenger trains. During one spring flood that washed out the main line between Pauls Valley and Ardmore, the division even saw the very heavy traffic that exists between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City.
The situation today, in the middle 1960's, is that of having two locals each direction per day, with a single passenger train making a daily trip around the division, closing the loop on the main line between Pauls Valley and Ardmore. Connections are made with main line traffic and other roads for transfers of mail and travelers. (In this world people like to travel by rail instead of in individual automobiles!)
The local shop foreman, being along time railfan as well as railroader, has managed to hide several steamers in his roundhouse. The old engines are being restored by a volunteer group for fan trips at some time in the future. Current fan trips are generally run behind PA number 75L/A, which handles the local passenger work, or F3's 201LABC that handle the reefer shipping season's long runs. This set of F units has been lovingly restored to their original paint scheme by the same group of volunteer fans. Their appearance sure raises some eyebrows when the superintendent shows up for his annual inspection tour about every two or three years.
Besides the obvious passenger business, there are other industries served by the Duncan District. In Duncan, there are no longer any industries served directly by the ATSF, only those cars picked up from the CHIP interchange, or by operating agreement from industries served by the CHIP. These cars are interchanged at the wye at the south end of the Duncan yard. The engine servicing facility does require an occasional tankcar load of fuel and a carload of engine sand.
The Melonville shippers were the largest group involved in getting the CTRR established and as a result provide the bulk of the freight traffic for the Duncan District. The largest shipper from Melonville, as you might guess, is the Southwestern Oklahoma Melon Cooperative. They have a rather large receiving station for receiving melons from the growers and shipping them via rail. They ship long distance shipments in ice reefers, and short haul (less than 300 - 400 miles) in sterilized stock cars, but only if the weather is not too hot. There is a general freight loading/unloading warehousing facility that provides services for a number of businesses in Melonville, mainly furniture and appliance shipments, but others as well. The lumberyard receives most of its stock by rail, and occasionally ships out a boxcar load of sawdust for one of its suppliers. There is a moving and storage warehouse that uses the rail for shipment when one of its customers wants a faster movement of goods, and is located in a town served by a railroad. The Swift meat packing plant receives livestock for slaughter and ships out refrigerated and frozen meats and meat products. The Sunkist shipping facility used to be primarily used for receiving citrus shipments, but through long standing agreement (dating back to the establishment of the CTRR) with the local grocers, they also act as a receiving point for perishables for them. The chemical plant does not say much about what they receive or ship. All of their cars are loaded or unloaded at night, usually with an excessive number of security guards present. Rumors of nerve gas and radioactive waste abound, but no one has ever proven either of these to be true.
Indian Junction provides another interchange with the CHIP. Normally northbound interchange traffic from the ATSF is handled here. There is also an interchange with the Frisco. The only local industry still being served by the ATSF is the local fuel dealer who receives carloads of refined products and LPG shipments. There is a team track for occasional odd shipments. Other industries are being courted, but to date there has been no progress in establishing any new industries along the ATSF right of way.
At Washita Siding, there is a crude oil loading facility for those producers who were missed by the pipeline company when it came through. Several tankcar loads per week are possible when the price of oil stays at a reasonable level, less when it drops. Watch out when sending a local out to switch the oil rack, though, because there is a strictly enforced engine limit to keep engines away from the rack because of the fire danger. There is also a very short stub (approximately 90 feet) switchback serving the rack, so only one car plus a short engine (like a Geep) can get in at a time. There is also a holding pen there for livestock loading. This produces an occasional carload for the Melonville packing plant or interchange to another road. From there, the Duncan District ties into the existing Santa Fe track that runs to the main line at Pauls Valley.
Here is a ROUGH sketch of the railroad:
Pictures to come someday....but not just yet.
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