| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Main region | North Texas |
| Parent company | Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway |
| Headquarters | Denison, Texas |
| Dates of operation | 1901–November 30, 1928 |
| Predecessor | Denison, Bonham, and New Orleans Railway (never completed) [1] [2] |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Length | 24 miles (39 km) |
The Denison, Bonham and New Orleans Railroad (DB&NO) was a standard gauge US shortline railroad located in North Texas. It was nicknamed "Nellie". [1] The DB&NO operated from Bonham Junction on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway (MK&T) east of Denison, Texas, to a connection with the Texas and Pacific Railway in Bonham, Texas. The DB&NO was initially operated and later leased by the MK&T, but was spun off in 1923 as part of that company's reorganization. It was purchased in 1925 by a group of Bonham citizens and ceased operations in 1928.
The Denison, Bonham and New Orleans Railroad Company (DB&NO) was chartered on January, 24, 1901, to build from Denison Texas, to Bonham and Wolfe City, using the right-of-way and partially completed roadbed of the Denison, Bonham and New Orleans Railway. This company had been chartered on January 19, 1887, to build a line from Denison Junction to Charleston in Delta County, Texas, and had initiated construction in the Denison area, but folded in 1888 before laying track. [1] [2] [3] Capital stock of the new company was $100,000 (equivalent to $3,780,000in 2024). [1]
The line was backed by the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway of Texas [a] (MK&T) and was built by an MK&T subsidiary which was paid in DB&NO stocks and bonds. [2] The MK&T already had a terminal in Denison and a line extending east to Greenville; to reduce construction cost, instead of using the entire 1887 grade into Denison, a junction was built on the MK&T about 5 miles (8 km) east of Denison and a new grade about 2 miles (3 km) long was built eastward to a point on the partially completed 1887 grade. The new junction was named Bonham Junction but became known as "Bona". [3]
In 1901, 24 miles (39 km) of track between Bonham Junction and Bonham was completed, and the MK&T began operating the line. [1] [2] Stations were located at Ambrose and Ravenna. [1] The main line was never extended to Wolfe City. On January 27, 1907, the company's charter was amended to include a proposed branch line from Ravenna to Gilmer, Texas, but it was never built. [2] In 1910, the unused 1887 grade into Denison was sold to the Missouri, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway of Texas [a] (MO&G); the old alignment met the DB&NO about 2 miles (3 km) southwest of Carpenter's Bluff, where the MO&G would build a bridge over the Red River to connect to the MO&G system north of the river in Oklahoma. A junction was built where the new MO&G alignment curved away to the north; as a condition of the line's sale, the DB&NO obtained trackage rights over the MO&G into Denison, but it is unknown whether this privilege was ever exercised. [3] On May 1, 1914, the MK&T leased the DB&NO outright. [2]
In 1923, the MK&T reorganized and spun off the DB&NO, which entered receivership on March 21, 1923. [1] The MKT [b] ceased operating the DB&NO on April 1 of that year. [2] On February 6, 1925, the DB&NO was purchased out of receivership by a group of Bonham citizens, who obtained two locomotives and one freight car. Freight included corn, cotton, cottonseed meal, watermelons, potatoes, and peanuts. Operations ceased permanently on November 30, 1928, and the line was formally abandoned in 1929. [1]