“As we’ve continued to pursue growth and acquisitions throughout our franchise, we have specifically targeted growth in Tennessee to bolster our operational efficiencies and marketing presence in the region. The addition of SQSC and WHRR will add diversification to our commodity base, increase our relationship with [CSX Transportation], and additionally provide the ability to market industrial sites available on both railroads and rail connectivity to the Tennessee River,” Ironhorse Resources President Matt Cundiff said. The SQSC and WHRR are welcome additions to the IHR family of transportation and development interests.
About the SQSC and WHRR Railroads
Sequatchie Valley Switching Co. is an 11.5-mile shortline railroad serving south central Tennessee from a connection with CSX at Bridgeport, Ala.
SQSC was originally part of the Jasper Branch Railroad that was authorized for construction in 1860. SQVR took over in the mi 1990s and now runs from Bridgeport to near Jasper, Tenn.
Walking Horse Railroad is an 8-mile short line railroad serving middle Tennessee from a connection with CSX at Wartrace, Tenn.
WHRR was completed in 1853 by the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad, which then became the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. When the Seaboard System Railroad abandoned the line in 1985, the Bedford Rail Authority bought the line and designated the WHOE to operate it.
About Ironhorse Resources
Ironhorse Resources, Inc. (IR) is the parent company of nine operating companies, and the administrative manager of all the companies owned by CGX, Inc. Located in O’Fallon, the companies are managed by experienced railroad ad logistics professionals. The entities operate six shortline railroads, three transload facilities, and two trucking companies. Three of the railroads are located in Texas, one is located in New Mexico, one is located in Arizona and another is located in central Tennessee just southeast of Nashville. The transloading facilities are located in Santa Teresa, N.M.; McAllen, Texas, and Donna, Texas. The trucking companies are operated out of Houston and Donna.
IR and its subsidiaries are a diversified set of related companies which strive to accommodate their customers’ logistics needs. These range from operating railroads, switching industries, car cleaning, transloading, warehousing, and trucking.
IR is the parent company of: Caney Fork & Western Railroad; Gardendale Railroad, Inc. (winner of Railway Age’s Shortline of the Year and an ASLRRA Marketing Award in 2013); Mississippi Tennessee Railroad; Rio Valley Switching Company; Santa Teresa Southern Railroad, LLC; Southern Switching Company – Abilene; Southern Switching Company – Big Spring; Border Transload & Transfer, Inc.; IHR Transport; San Pedro Valley Railroad; IHR Logistics, LLC.
More information is available online.
— An Ironhorse Resources news release. April 8, 2019.
Ironhorse Resources came too late to salvage the former NC&STL branch lines between Decherd, Tennessee (on the Nashville – Atlanta mainline) and Gadsden via Huntsville, Alabama; and between Elora, Fayetteville, Lewisburg (on the former L&N mainline between Nashville and Birmingham) and Columbia, Tennessee.