Welcome to the Red River and Gulf Railroad!
The Red River and Gulf Railroad is the operating arm of the Southern Forest Heritage Museum. Looking for the museum instead? Click here.
We are committed to preserving the rich logging history of Central Louisiana and the Long Leaf Sawmill complex. To accomplish this we hold volunteer work sessions at least once a month. Interested? Keep reading.
We Need Volunteers!
Want to join in on the railroading fun?
Our Locomotives
The Red River and Gulf owns three operational Fairmont rail speeders; the Fairmont S-2 lettered M-1, the Fairmont A-4 lettered M-2, and the Fairmont A-5 lettered M-8. The railroad also owns a home-built 1936 railbus, the FC&G M-4. We have 4 steam locomotives; #106, a Baldwin 4-6-0 built in 1923, #202, a Baldwin 2-6-0 built in 1913, #400, a Baldwin 4-6-0 built in 1913, and a recently-acquired pre-1905 Stearns/Heisler steam locomotive, Santee River Hardwood #3. We are currently restoring SRH #3 to operation.
Our History
The Red River & Gulf Railroad was established in 1905. Steam service on the RR&G was ended in 1953, when Engine #106 made its last run to Lecompte with loads for the Rock Island, returning with empties for the mill. The railroad operated with its GE 44-ton diesel locomotive until March 30, 1954, when the last RR&G train ran, with the rails removed by that May. The RR&G was gone except for the segment between Long Leaf Jct. and Long Leaf, which was sold to Crowell Long Leaf Lumber to serve the mill and is still in place today.