MISSISSIPPI & ALABAMA RAILROAD
The Mississippi and Alabama was originally built as the Alabama and Mississippi Railroad around 1902 by the Vinegar Bend Lumber Company, whose large yellow pine sawmill was located on the M&O at Vinegar Bend, Ala. The lumber company operated numerous logging spurs off of the A&M mainline. One spur was extended from Dueitt, across the river from Leakesville, southward to Lucedale after the A&M purchased the Pascagoula, Moss Point and Northern RR in 1916 and transferred to the A&M, thereby forming a through route to Pascagoula, on the Gulf coast. In 1922, the lumber company and the A&M went bankrupt, and the south part from Evanston to Pascagoula was sold to become the Mississippi Export. The part from Vinegar Bend to Leakesville was sold to local businessmen and became the Mississippi and Alabama RR. Motive power for the M&A was a 4-6-0 from the GM&N, which was gone from the roster by the late 1930's, and an ancient 2-6-0, #62, that plied the crooked rails of the M&A until the early 1940's. Another engine, a Baldwin 2-6-2, #4, built in 1914, was bought in the 1930's and ran until the railroad was abandoned in early 1950. This engine burned wood until the very end.
History and photos 1 & 2 furnished by Tony Howe.
Photos and captions of 3 thru 6 furnished by David Price.
M&A #4 near Vinegar Bend, Ala. Photo by C. W. Witbeck
M&A Mainline near Rounsaville, Ms. Photo by C.W. Witbeck
The fireman of M&A #4 stokes the fire with pine knots. C. W. Witbeck collection of David S. Price
Ex-Mobile & Ohio #62 works out its last days on the Mississippi & Alabama. Robert W. Richardson photo in the collection of David S. Price
The shops of the M&A at Leakesville looked like this in 1948. Tender of scrapped locomotive #62 sits at right. Engine #4 rests in the engine house. Note the grass covered tracks and the home-made wood hoist at the end of one shop track...evidence of the old Southern term "shade tree mechanic." Photo by C. W. Witbeck in the collection of David S. Price
Passenger transportation in the form of a old rail bus sits awaiting the mail at the Leakesville, Mississippi depot of the M&A RR in 1948. The depot still stands, but the track is long gone. Photo by C. W. Witbeck in the collection of David S. Price
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M&A #4 near Vinegar Bend, Ala. Photo by C. W. Witbeck
M&A Mainline near Rounsaville, Ms. Photo by C.W. Witbeck
The fireman of M&A #4 stokes the fire with pine knots. C. W. Witbeck collection of David S. Price
Ex-Mobile & Ohio #62 works out its last days on the Mississippi & Alabama. Robert W. Richardson photo in the collection of David S. Price
The shops of the M&A at Leakesville looked like this in 1948. Tender of scrapped locomotive #62 sits at right. Engine #4 rests in the engine house. Note the grass covered tracks and the home-made wood hoist at the end of one shop track...evidence of the old Southern term "shade tree mechanic." Photo by C. W. Witbeck in the collection of David S. Price
Passenger transportation in the form of a old rail bus sits awaiting the mail at the Leakesville, Mississippi depot of the M&A RR in 1948. The depot still stands, but the track is long gone. Photo by C. W. Witbeck in the collection of David S. Price