{"id":50,"featured":0,"modified":"2026-04-17 19:32:46","latitude":31.193146999999999735564415459521114826202392578125,"longitude":-94.7903119999999717038008384406566619873046875,"title":"Texas South-Eastern Railroad","subtitle":"","fullsize":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/fullsize/0690044878aee37268ad7fc6a3a59edc.jpg","address":"","all_locations":[],"zoom":5,"creator":["Liam McDaid"],"description":"Between 1880 and 1930 the East Texas lumber industry was at its peak, transforming the piney woods landscape of East Texas. One of the few surviving short-line railroads from this period is the Texas South-Eastern Railroad (TSER), which served various industries between Lufkin and Diboll but mostly carried timber and forest products throughout the region. It was created in 1900 by T.L.L. Temple, founder of the Southern Pine Lumber Company, which would later become Temple Industries.  <br />\r\n<br />\r\nThe length of the TSER varied widely over its history. From its original seven-mile narrow gauge track it grew to a total railroad-system length of eighty-seven miles by 1915, although most of this growth came from acquiring track rights rather than building new track. Due to the lumber boom is was primarily a freight train line, but did offer a passenger service from Diboll to Lufkin until 1942, on a mixed train that carried the nickname &quot;Tattered, Shattered, and Expired.&quot; <br />\r\n<br />\r\nDecline soon followed. From the 1960s parts of the TSER rail system were abandoned or sold off to other railroad companies and by 1978 it was reduced to just over seventeen miles of track. By the 1990s the TSER stopped running trains altogether. It has changed owners several times in the last few years, but is once again moving a range of products, including plastic, frac sand, molasses, urea, and other chemicals down its 14.18 miles of track. It still operates out of its office in Diboll.<br />","sponsor":null,"accessinfo":"","lede":"","website":"","related_resources":["“Texas South-Eastern Railroad.” Tshaonline.org.  Texas State Historical Association, n.d.  Web.  5 Oct. 2014.  http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/eqt15<br />\r\n<br />\r\n“Koch Industries Seeks STB Approval to Acquire Texas South-Eastern.” Progressiverailroading.com.  Progressive Railroading, 1 Jan. 2013.  Web.  5 Oct. 2014.  http://www.progressiverailroading.com/m_a/news/Koch-Industries-seeks-STB-approval-to-acquire-Texas-SouthEastern--34848<br />\r\n<br />\r\n“R.J. Corman Acquires Texas Southeastern Railroad.”  Railsource.com.  Rail Resource, 8 Sep. 2014.  Web.  5 Oct. 2014.  http://www.railresource.com/content/?p=14386<br />\r\n<br />\r\n“Texas Line.”  RJCorman.com.  R.J. Corman, n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2014.  http://www.rjcorman.com/shortlines/texas.html"],"factoids":[],"files":{"https://easttexashistory.org/files/fullsize/0690044878aee37268ad7fc6a3a59edc.jpg":{"id":503,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"The TSER Railroad Office Exterior","description":"Photo of the original Texas South-Eastern Railroad Company office in Diboll, TX (1907).   | The Portal to Texas History, The History Center | American Lumberman Magazine","thumbnail":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/0690044878aee37268ad7fc6a3a59edc.jpg"},"https://easttexashistory.org/files/fullsize/ffc74bfcb6cdbd635e21100562453911.jpg":{"id":504,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"The TSER Railroad Office Interior","description":"Photo of the interior of the Texas South-Eastern Railroad Company office in Diboll.  General Manager W. J. Raef sits behind the desk with an unidentified assistant in the foreground. Raef was general manager as early as 1903 but left the railroad in 1908.  The photo is from 1907. | The Portal to Texas History, The History Center | American Lumberman Magazine<br />\r\n","thumbnail":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/ffc74bfcb6cdbd635e21100562453911.jpg"},"https://easttexashistory.org/files/fullsize/2c17b6fc407aad527c3e646261f3762e.jpg":{"id":505,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"TSER Right-of-Way, with Track","description":"Photo of a section of the Texas South-Eastern Railroad Company right-of-way including track, three miles west of Diboll (1907). | The Portal to Texas History, The History Center | American Lumberman Magazine","thumbnail":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/2c17b6fc407aad527c3e646261f3762e.jpg"},"https://easttexashistory.org/files/fullsize/a25fcfe879b624e39c3240b16137e571.jpg":{"id":506,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Steam Shovel at Work","description":"Photo of a Bucyrus steam shovel at work loading rail cars near Blix station, along the Texas South-Eastern Railroad Company right of way in western Angelina County, Texas. | American Lumberman Magazine","thumbnail":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/a25fcfe879b624e39c3240b16137e571.jpg"},"https://easttexashistory.org/files/fullsize/ab24e17a867085480eef99ea150e7bca.jpg":{"id":507,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"TSER Modern Office Exterior","description":"Photo of the outside of the office of the Texas Southeastern Railroad Company in Diboll, TX.<br />\r\n | Google Maps","thumbnail":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/ab24e17a867085480eef99ea150e7bca.jpg"},"https://easttexashistory.org/files/fullsize/0d229312a03f6bf8e06338d1444a6959.jpg":{"id":508,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"TSER Route Map, 1908","description":"The route map for the Texas South-Eastern Railroad in 1908, showing the line from Diboll to Palestine.  This line parallels the Neches River and clearly goes through what was rich lumber country in 1908.  Timber lands are shown as shaded on this map.<br />\r\n | Texas Transportation Archive | American Lumberman Magazine","thumbnail":"https://easttexashistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/0d229312a03f6bf8e06338d1444a6959.jpg"}}}