New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western Railroad
Former railway company in Louisiana, US / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western Railroad (NOO&GW) was chartered in 1852. Construction began at Algiers, across the Mississippi River from New Orleans, in late 1852. By 1857, the track had reached Brashear (now Morgan City) on Berwick Bay, and this remained the end of the line for over 20 years.[1] The 83 miles (134 km) NOO&GW was built to the "Texas gauge" of 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm),[2] the only such railroad in the New Orleans area to use that gauge; the line was converted to 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge in 1872.
Overview | |
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Headquarters | New Orleans, Louisiana |
Locale | Louisiana |
Dates of operation | 1854–1869 |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
Previous gauge | originally 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) |
In 1869, steamship operator Charles Morgan bought the NOO&GW[3] and began operating it as owner. In 1878 he organized his railroad property as Morgan's Louisiana and Texas Railroad and Steamship Company,[4][5] and it eventually became part of the Southern Pacific Company's main line. The line is currently owned and operated by BNSF.