The Blackwell, Enid and Southwestern Railway (BES) was built as a short line railroad operating in

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

, Oklahoma, and

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

. It was founded in March 1900 to link the Frisco

Beaumont, Kansas Beaumont is an unincorporated community in Butler County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the community and nearby areas was 36. History The surrounding area is farm land, settled by ranchers and farmers afte ...

subdivision and

Vernon, Texas Vernon is a city and the county seat of Wilbarger County, Texas, United States. and as of the 2010 Census had a population of 11,002. History The original town was called Eagle Springs by the indigenous community as early as 1858. After th ...

. When the government opened the Kiowa-Comanche-Apache Indian Reservation for settlement on August 6, 1901, Choctaw Construction Company (later part of the Bee Line Construction Company) began construction of 251 miles of track from Vernon, Texas north to Blackwell and Enid in Indian Territory. The line was built in sections, starting from

Blackwell, Oklahoma Blackwell is a city in Kay County, Oklahoma, United States, located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 177 and State Highway 11 along Interstate 35 (exit #222). The population was 7,092 at the 2010 census and 6,085 in the 2020 Census. Blackwel ...

to Darrow, Oklahoma (84.3 mi.) in 1900-01. Then from Darrow to the Red River (154.3 mi) in 1901-03. On July 20, 1907 the railroad was purchased by the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (the "Frisco"), who operated it until November 21, 1980, when the Frisco was acquired by

Burlington Northern The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996. Its historical lineage begins in the earliest days of railroadin ...

Passenger Service

The Western Division operated the Texas Express passenger train between Enid, Oklahoma and Vernon, Texas in each direction. The timetable from the 1930s shows that southbound train 609 departed from Enid at 12:20 p.m. and arrived at Vernon at 7:45 p.m.. The northbound train 610 departed Vernon at 6:30 a.m. and arrived at Enid at 1:45 p.m.

Freight Service

The Western Division ran a freight train daily between Enid, Oklahoma and Vernon, Texas in each direction. The timetable used to operate the layout shows that southbound local 667 departed Snyder at 7:45 a.m. and arrived at Vernon at 10:40 a.m.. The northbound local 668 departed Vernon at 1:30 p.m. and arrived at Snyder at 4:45 p.m.

Geography

The line running southwest from Enid, Oklahoma to Vernon, Texas became known as the Hobart Subdivision of the Frisco's Western Division. The topography is flat prairie with a few granite outcroppings located near

Snyder, Oklahoma Snyder is a city in Kiowa County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,394 at the 2010 census. This figure represented a decline of 7.6 percent from 1,509 persons in 2000. History The community of Snyder was established in Oklahoma Te ...

. Another topographical feature of the Hobart Subdivision was the long timber bridge over the Red River that runs east and west between Oklahoma and Texas. The line between Enid, Oklahoma to Beaumont, Kansas traversed the central Great Plains in the heart of North America's winter wheat belt.

Current operations

Enid, Oklahoma to Frederick, Oklahoma is now Grainbelt since 1987 (177.7 mi.). The principal commodities handled by Farmrail are wheat, crude and processed gypsum, feed ingredients, crushed stone, oilfield drilling fluids, petroleum products, fertilizers and agricultural machinery.

Abandonments

Davidson, Oklahoma Davidson is a town in Tillman County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 315 at the 2010 census. History This area was opened for homesteading by a lottery held in 1901, and the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway promptly built a lin ...

- 1957 (15.32 mi.)
Winfield, Kansas to Beaumont, Kansas - 1977 (42.0 mi.)
Arkansas City, Kansas to Winfield, Kansas - 1982 (20.2 mi.)
Enid, Oklahoma to Arkansas City, Kansas - 1982 (71.1 mi.)
Davidson, Oklahoma to Frederick, Oklahoma - unknown, likely post-1982
Last train from Enid to Arkansas City 5/29/1982

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackwell Enid Southwestern Railway Defunct Oklahoma railroads Predecessors of the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway Railway companies established in 1900 Railway companies disestablished in 1907 Railway companies in Enid, Oklahoma