I want to model the early Austin and Northwestern Railroad (A&NW) because I live nearby.  This is a very condensed history, followed by a 1924 Southern Pacific schedule and a freight tonnage table.  The A&NW is a point-to-point railroad with long spurs that branch off the mainline to Burnet and to Granite Mountain and Marble Falls.  The A&NW is currently owned by the city of Austin and the tracks are shared by Capitol Metro providing commuter service in the day between Leander and Austin, and Watco Companies LLC, providing freight services during the night.  Follow along with this map from Watco:  http://www.watcocompanies.com/Railroads/AWRR/AWRR.pdf  

The Narrow Gauge Years of the Austin and Northwestern Railroad 1882-1891

The Texas and Pacific Railway (T&P) was federally chartered in 1871 to build a southern transcontinental railroad from Marshall, TX to San Diego, CA. Later in 1871, the Houston and Texas Central Railway (H&TC) became the first railroad to reach Austin. In 1874, the International and Great Northern Railway (I&GN) became the second railroad to reach Austin.

After years of interest in building a railroad westward from Austin, the Austin and Northwestern Railroad (A&NW) was chartered in 1881, with the ambitious vision to build incrementally from Austin, to eventually connect to the T&P in Abilene.

For reasons not well known, the A&NW decided to build the first 60 mile segment (from Austin to Burnet) as a narrow, 3-foot, gauge railroad with very light 35 pound rail, and locally acquired cedar ties. The segment from Austin to Burnet was completed in 1882.

When the Texas state capitol building burned down in 1881, the governor asked for a more permanent design, using stone. The A&NW convinced the building commission in early 1885, that the best stone in Texas, comes from Granite Mountain, just 16 miles Southwest of Burnet. After the contract was awarded, the A&NW built the 16 mile extension of the light weight, narrow gauge line from Burnet to Granite Mountain, in December, 1885. This was followed later, by another 2 mile extension from Granite Mountain to Marble Falls in 1887.

The light weight, narrow gauge tracks were not up to the task of carrying heavy granite blocks. When trains derailed, the granite blocks were often left where they fell.  Each rough cut granite block weighed in at 30,000 pounds and were shipped, two blocks per flat car.

The A&NW owned several 4-4-0 American type, narrow gauge, wood-burning locomotives that were used for both passenger and light freight operations and a 2-8-0 Consolidation type, narrow gauge, wood burning locomotive, for heavy freight operations. The A&NW yard in Austin was worked by an 0-6-0t tank engine which also delivered granite block to the capitol building on temporary tracks. Another feature of the Austin yard was a freight transfer building where freight was moved between standard gauge and narrow gauge freight cars.

In 1891, the H&TC purchased the A&NW, converted all the tracks to standard gauge and extended the railroad 30 miles further West to Llano. The Llano subdivision of the H&TC continued to operate as the A&NW.

References: “Journal of Texas Shortline Railroads and Transportation”, Vol 3, Num 2, by Lester Haines, 1988.