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Jackson,Tennessee NC & StL Railroad Depot History
 

Story Credits: Randy James

The current railroad depot in Jackson Tennessee was built by the Nashville, Chattanooga, and
 

Saint Louis (NC&StL) Railway in 1907, a full twelve years after the
 

Tennessee Midland Railroad (TMR) was acquired by the Paducah, Tennessee, and
 

 Alabama (PT&A) Railroad in 1893.  After the PT&A purchased the TMR, the PT&A
 

 extended its line from Lexington north to Hollow Rock Tennessee (35 miles) to join the
 

old TMR trackage to the southern PT&A terminus near Hollow Rock.  In 1895
 

the Louisville and Nashville (L&N) Railroad acquired the PT&A which
 

was sold at foreclosure.  The L&N leased the route to the NC&St L for 99 years. The original TMR

The Jackson, Tennessee Railway Depot

Built by the NC&StL in 1907.

Photo credits:  James Rogers Barnes

Jackson Tennessee depot was built across the street (South Royal) from the current location
 

next to the old Murphy Hotel. The old wooden depot was to be moved and turned
 

into a freight house when the newer all brick construction depot was to be built. The old
 

clapboard wooden siding TMR depot spent the rest of its years as a freight
 

house and Railway Express Agency (REA) facility up until 1969 when a fire gutted the entire
 

building. My dad was working at the Colonial Bakery across the street and he remembers
 

when it burned down and fire fighters were spraying water on the current depot's roof
 

to prevent it from catching on fire as well.  My dad also remembers watching the last runs
 

 of L&N Trains 107 and 108, the last passenger train over the Paducah and Memphis Division
 

of the old NC&StL in May 1967.  In the summer of 1969 the tracks from Burkett Switch near
 

Jackson to Cordova east of Memphis were deemed redundant by the L&N RR and
 

torn up.  Later in 1982, the tracks from East Union (Jackson, Tennessee) to Hollow Rock Tennessee
 

were torn up as well.  The only remaining active portion today of the old TMR, PT&A, NC&StL,
 

L&N, and Seaboard System's Paducah and Memphis Division is located in Jackson Tennessee
 

where numerous industries depend on the current operator, CSX, to provide rail
 

service over a rail line with a very rich colorful history

Prepared by:

Jerry McDaniel
POB 146
Clarksburg, Tennessee 38324

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