Research: Tram & Railroad Database

Code: 71
Corporate Name: Sam Allen tram road at Mobile
Folk Name:
Incorporated:
Ownership: Kirby, Mill N; earlier Southwestern (W. E. Trotti and Associates), and Sam Allen & Company
Years of Operation: 1883 to 1910
Track Type:
Standard Gauge Wooden Rails
Track Length: Twelve
Locations Served: Mobile (Tyler)
Counties of Operation: Tyler
Line Connections: Trinity and Sabine
Track Information:
Tram Road Logging / Industrial Common Carrier Logging Camp
Equipment: Shay engine. Keeling listed one geared and three rod locomotives for this operation for Sam Allen.
History: One of Sam Allen and Company's several East Texas sawmills was located at Mobile, Tyler County, about six miles west of Colmesneil on the Trinity and Sabine railroad. Keeling listed one geared and three rod locomotives operating over a wooden-rail tram line to supply this mill. W.E. Trotti and Associates bought the mill and tram road in 1897 and added a planer, but it is not known what improvements the company made to the tram road. Kirby Lumber Company bought the operation in January 1902 from Trotti and operated it as Mill N until closing down in 1910. Kirby Lumber used at least one Shay engine on logging operations for the Mobile mill. Keeling states that Kirby Lumber Company operated on twelve miles of tram road. The rough country around the mill necessitated the use of geared locomotives.