The Lochridge train station was on the south side of 1462 just across from Ray's cattle guard. (Lochridge was established in 1913). I grew up at Lockridge; but I don't know very much about it. The train no longer ran when I was there. I do know that my grandparents' mail came on the train. I have a letter and envelope which show that it came from St. Cloud, Minnesota to Lockridge, Texas, in two days--Feb. 6-8, 1934--for three cents.
Mona Moyle Fenn
The map above is from the 1930s.
This map shows towns in Brazoria County that were stops along the Sugar Land RR and shows the route of the Velasco RR from Anchor to Velasco.
Grandma-McMillan PDF
Plat of Anchor PDF
In 1893 the Sugar Land Railroad was funded and by 1894 was completed to Duke under the direction of E. H. Cunningham. Before 1908 W. T. Eldridge purchased the Sugar Land Railroad and one of his first changes was to abandon the section of railroad from the Sienna Parkway intersection at McKeever Rd to Duke. In 1891 the Texas Railroad Commission was formed and in 1894 it became an elective body. The Texas Railroad Commission records indicate the Sugar Land Railroad was completed from Sugar Land to Arcola Junction in 1894. There is not mention of the abandonment from McKeever Rd to Arcola Junction although a 1917 map shows the abandoned roadbed. The commission records indicate that in 1912 a line was completed from Arcola to Ratchford, Texas. I have not been able to locate Ratchford, Texas. So the railroad traced by this pamphlet was complete by 1916. The International and Great Northern railroad bed runs south through Arcola to Anchor , and continued south. The Sugar Land railroad joined the Velasco Terminal Railway at Anchor with it's connection to Angleton and Velasco. By 1932 the Texas Railroad Commission records indicate the abandonment of track from Anchor Junction to House, Texas. Mentioned elsewhere is the abandonment of the four miles of track north of Arcola. I don’t know about are where Arcola was at the time of this abandonment, Arcola migrated from the Arcola Sugar Mills to near Hawdon and then north to the present location.
Missouri Pacific purchased the Sugar Land RR in 1956. It ran from Sugar Land to House, to Arcola Sugar Mills, to Hawdon and to Houston, Texas. Everything south of Arcola Sugar Mills had been abandoned.
Engineer, Howard M. Grounds
Brakeman R. T. Bishop
Brakeman Heard
Conductor C. E. McFarland
This is the team that ran the train on the last run of the Sugar Land Railroad to Gulf Coast Feed Mills.