Dummy Line Railroad Tracks

Since Madisonville has for many years (centuries, in fact) been a major shipbuilding and trade/commerce port, there were several ways to get goods and produce there for shipment to New Orleans. There were roadways, waterways, and train tracks. Here's a map of the short run Dummy Line railroad that ran between Brady Island, just north of Madisonville, up to the area west of Goodbee. 

Click on the images to make them larger.

Dummyline Road near Madisonville parallels the old roadbed of the railroad that for a while runs alongside Brady Island Drive. The old railroad grade is marked in yellow.  The above map is from a 1935 USGS Topographical Map. 

Terminus of the Uneedus-Madisonville dummyline railroad, off west bank of Tchefuncte River, across from Fairview Riverside State Park. The train came out into the river by 50 feet or more. There was a dock on the down river side.

According to Iris Lulu-Simoneaux Vacante with the Madisonville Museum, it was on February 9, 1895, that Frederick and Alfred Gitz signed a grant of railroad right of way to W.T. Jay on their farm located on Dummyline Rd. to Brewster Road to make way for a railroad "Dummyline" to haul timber.  Pictured below are workers of Jay's Saw Mill loading up lumber and hauling it on a Dummyline. The tracks can be seen in the background.

 

 

(Photo source: Madisonville Museum)

 

 

 

 

Dummyline Railroad, Madisonville to Uneedus

 

There were several short run railroad lines near Talisheek. Some of these ran into the Pearl River Swamp meeting up with existing logging trails.

North of Slidell, near Charter Oak and Hickory, there were numerous short run dummy line railroad tracks that ran into the logging areas and gravel pit loading areas.

 

 

See also:

Holmesville Road Opens Trade To Madisonville 

The Story of Train Travel in St. Tammany  

Trains