Miami Mineral Belt Railroad
Overview
HeadquartersOklahoma City, Oklahoma
LocaleOklahoma
Dates of operation1917–1950
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Length40 mi (64 km)

The Miami Mineral Belt Railroad (MMBR) served the Miami and Picher lead mining areas in that portion of the Tri-state mining district located in far northeastern Oklahoma. It was closely associated with the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (Frisco) for its entire history, and was eventually absorbed into the Frisco.

History

The MMBR was incorporated February 26, 1917 in Oklahoma and June 27, 1917 in Kansas.[1] Its sole stockholder was T.B. Slick, and it was headquartered in Oklahoma City.[1] It was created with the active participation of the Frisco, which wanted a share of the transportation trade in a very productive mining area.[2] Toward that goal, the Frisco provided and leased the rails to the railroad’s creators, and guaranteed a 10% return on construction and equipment costs until a 110% payout on investment had been reached.[3] The Frisco, and its affiliated Kansas City, Fort Scott and Memphis Railway, also leased locomotives and rolling stock to the MMBR.[1] The line traveled westerly, northerly, and northeasterly from Quapaw, Oklahoma through Picher, Oklahoma and on to Baxter Springs, Kansas, 11.05 miles, forming a loop through the Miami and Picher lead mining areas.[2][3] The railway started operation July 6, 1917.[3][4] Including various side, yard, and spur tracks which totaled 29 miles in 1929, the railroad eventually included about 40 miles of trackage.[5] Despite the name, it never ran to Miami, Oklahoma, which was to the southwest.[2][6]

The line was essentially a switching operation to gather traffic from mine and mill spurs and haul it to the Frisco interchange points at Quapaw and Baxter Springs.[3] Most of the traffic was outbound lead and zinc ores, but the line did handle some inbound merchandise as well as passengers.[2][3]

While Frisco was given ICC permission to acquire the line in 1923,[3] it appears Frisco leased the line instead,[2] only acquiring the stock of the carrier on July 31, 1929.[5] Effective January 1, 1930, the line was leased back to the Frisco,[7] where for Frisco’s internal purposes it became the Picher Branch of the Afton Sub-Division of the Northern Division.[7] The line was not officially absorbed into the Frisco until mid-1950.[2][8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Valuation Docket 927, Miami Mineral Belt Railroad Company". Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission, Volume 25, February-May 1929, pp. 142-164. 1929. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Miami's Railroads". Miami, Oklahoma History. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Control of the Miami Mineral Belt R. R. by Frisco". Interstate Commerce Commission Reports, Volume 82, July-December 1923, pp.155-158. 1924. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Quapaw, Oklahoma". Google Maps. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Frisco Acquires Miami Mineral Belt Railroad Company July 31" (PDF). The Frisco Employees’ Magazine, September 1929, p.24. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Miami, Oklahoma". Google Maps. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  7. 1 2 "Parties to Dispute: Brotherhood of Railway and Steamship Clerks, Freight handlers, Express and Station Employes, St. Louis-San Francisco Railway Company". National Railroad Adjustment Board, Volume II, 1936, pp.256-257. 1936. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Preliminary Inventory R0362 (RA0374) St. Louis-San Francisco Railway Company Records 1859-1980, p.55 of 132" (PDF). The State Historical Society of Missouri Research Center-Rolla. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
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