Houston's North Shore: Table of Content

Home :: CERA Books :: CERA Catalog :: Bulletin #133: Houston North Shore

Preface	6
Acknowledgments	8
Chapter 1. Historical Background	10
Introduction	11
Brief History of the Area	12
Early Career of Harry K. Johnson	15
Chapter 2. The Missouri Pacific Railroad Gets Involved	16
Mr. Johnson Finds Opportunity	17
Missouri Pacific Backs Interurban	17
Why the Nation's Last Interurban Railway Was Built	23
Chapter 3. Construction	24
Conflict with Ed Kennedy	25
Construction Continues	26
Chapter 4. Operation Begins	32
Start of Freight Service	33
The 1927 Humble Day Celebration	33
The Interurban is Opened to Passenger Traffic	35
Chapter 5. Additions to the Original Line	36
Extensions to Goose Creek and Pelly	37
Proposed Additions to the Houston-Goose Creek Route	38
Chapter 6. Description of the Houston North Shore	44
Description of the Route	45
Power System	48
The Electric Passenger Cars	50
The Electric Freight Locomotives	53
Chapter 7. Direct Rail Service to Downtown Houston	54
The Early Busy Years	55
Slow Run Down Lyons Avenue	57
Consideration of Alternate Routes into Downtown Houston	60
Hard Times and the Run Downtown is Ended	63
Chapter 8. The Slow Thirties	68
Reductions in Service	69
A Move to Eliminate the Electrification	77
Chapter 9. Heavy Traffic During the Second World War	82
Freight Traffic Grows	83
Steam Engines Take Over Freight Trains	85
Coping with the Passenger Car Shortage	87
Chapter 10. Electric Cars are Discontinued	90
Post War Reductions in Service	91
Railbuses Arrive	96
The Last Car and the Scrap Heap	101
Chapter 11. Railbuses Only	104
The Railbuses Operate Thirteen More Years	105
Conclusions	111
Chapter 12. Accidents and Storms	112
Chapter 13. Memories of the Houston North Shore Railway	116
Charles Robinson	117
V.O. Niles, former HNS conductor, 1942-1957	125
Chapter 14. Houston North Shore Rolling Stock	126
Autorailers 100 and 105	127
Electric Locomotive 511	130
Electric Locomotive 512	132
Wooden Coaches 521 and 522	133
Lightweight Cars 523-526	136
Lightweight Car 520	140
Work Car 528	141
Coach 529	142
Coach 530	143
Railbus 701 (originally 531)	144
Railbuses 702-706	145
Flat Cars 101-103	146
Portable Substations	146
Missouri Pacific Steam Engines Assigned to the HNS	146
Roster	147
Houston North Shore Map	149
Track Maps	150
Appendix	155
A. Historical Background of Texas Railroads That Are a Part of the HNS Story by George C. Werner	155
B. Glossary of Abbreviations and Names	156
C. ICC Evaluation HNS - 1928	157
D. Contract with Standard Electrical Construction Co.	158
E. List of Town Name Changes	158
F. Missouri Pacific Code Words	158
Bibliography	160
Index	163

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