I too enjoy The Capn's input and will use this post to update/clarify his above.
quote:
Which runs into some complexities in actual fact. until the '90s, there were actually two, single-track mainlines, one for the Missouri-Pacific, one for the Union-Pacific. Southern-Pacific bought Katy, and then MoPac, all only to then be merged into UPac.
The original railroad into town (we'll call town alongside the university for this post) was the Houston and Texas Central and that line remains in tact today. It is the mainline you see south of University drive to Navasota, Hempstead and on to Houston. It arrived after the Civil War.
The International and Great Northern arrived later on their own line from Valley Jct to Navasota and on to Stoneham, Magnolia and Spring. This is the line that takes the hard curve in downtown Bryan. The railroad track nearest Wellborn Road north of University, now called Main 2, was the original I&GN mainline. The line was where Wellborn Rd south of University Dr is today. You will note if a southbound train is on Main 2 it looks like it is coming right at you if you are driving north of Wellborn alongside the university.
The I&GN line crossed over the H&TC just north of today's George Bush Drive and was the roadbed for Marion Pugh, Holleman Dr South, and I&GN Rd. The line stayed to the west of the H&TC south of CS and crossed the H&TC again in Navasota.
Sometime around the 50s (would have to do the research to determine the correct time) the I&GN, then merged into the Missouri Pacific Railroad, abandoned their line between Bryan and Navasota and used trackage rights over the paralleling H&TC, then merged into the Southern Pacific Railroad.
In the 90s, the track nearest Wellborn Rd north of University Dr was called Bryan siding and operated as a simple passing siding controlled by the Southern Pacific dispatcher.
The Missouri Pacific was the first big modern railroad merged into the Union Pacific in 1982. The Western Pacific came in in 1983. The Missouri-Kansas-Texas (Katy) was merged into the Union Pacific in 1988 and finally, the Southern Pacific was merged into the Union Pacific in 1996.
What rail spur business was there in CS in your timeframe? Yes the university has the spur and there was probably a team track along Wellborn Rd. Was there a spur at the lumber company at FM2818?