Tag: New Orleans Opelousas & Great Western Railroad (NOO&GW)

Wikipedia says: The New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western Railroad (NOO&GW) was chartered in 1852. Construction began at Algiers, across the Mississippi River from New Orleans, in late 1852. By 1857, the track had reached Brashear (now Morgan City) on Berwick Bay, and this remained the end of the line for over 20 years. The 83 miles (134 km) NOO&GW was built to the “Texas gauge” of 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm), the only such railroad in the New Orleans area to use that gauge; the line was converted to 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge in 1872.

From the establishment of the company in 1852 until 1862, Benjamin Flanders (later Reconstruction Governor of Louisiana and Mayor of New Orleans) was the Secretary and Treasurer of the line. In 1869, the company was bought by Charles Morgan.