Railroad and Transportation MuseumThe Railroad and Transportation Museum is located in the NOGN Depot and opened on May 9, 2014. Enter the Museum through the Whistle Stop Gift Shop at 114 Franklinton St. and enjoy a historical view of the early years of our community outlining the advancement of transportation and its impact on our area. Chim Stogner worked with other volunteers and local historians to create and maintain the museum.
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The depot has been well maintained and has not changed much over the years.
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The Fernwood & Gulf Railroad was incorporated on March 31, 1906 by the Enochs family, owners of the large Fernwood Lumber Co., to take over the mainline of the lumber company’s logging railroad extending eastward from Fernwood 20.3 miles to Tylertown. The lumber company continued to operate logging spurs off of the F&G. The F&G was gradually extended eastward until it finally reached Columbia and the railroad was renamed Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf on May 1, 1920. The last 2.68 miles from Foxworth to Columbia was over the New Orleans Great Northern, later part of the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio. FC&G did build its own depot and terminal facilities in Columbia. On September 1, 1972, the FC&G became part of the newly formed Illinois Central Gulf, who abandoned the line in segments, the last of which was removed by the early 1980’s. Today there is very little left to remind us where the FC&G used to run.
The Fernwood & Gulf undertook a final eastward extension under its own corporate identity to reach the New Orleans Great Northern main line at Foxworth in the fall of 1919, a distance of 9.55 miles from Kokomo. This completed the main line of 41.44 miles essentially as it was to be operated for the next fifty plus years.
FC&G's depot in Tylertown in 1972. The GM&O depot is barely visible.
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The Doodlebug!
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NOGN depot is shown on the left and FC&G's depot on the right.
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