Stephenville North and South Texas Railway

The Stephenville North & South Texas Railway (SN&ST) was incorporated in Texas on February 4, 1907 by Stephenville and Hamilton business interests. Its original standard gauge 43 mile line was built between Stephenville and Hamilton and completed in late 1907. The first train operated between Stephenville and Hamilton on Christmas Day 1907. Regular service began in January 1908. Four apparently identical wooden depots of a standard design were built at Hamilton, Carlton, Spurlin, and Alexander (where the Texas Central line of the Katy Railroad crossed). The SN&ST shared a union station with its original primary railroad connection, the long established Fort Worth & Rio Grande Railroad at Stephenville. A serious flood in April 1908 caused the owners of the line to seek a buyer. In January 1909 a half interest in the line was sold to Commonwealth Trust Company of St. Louis. The St. Louis Southwestern Railway of Texas (known as "the Cotton Belt Route") bought the railroad in April 1910. The charter of the SN&ST was amended on April 18, 1910 to permit extensions of the railroad from Hamilton to Gatesville, Texas; from Stephenville to Thurber, Texas; and from Edson, Texas to Comanche, Texas. However, the line from Stephenvile to Thurber was never built.

The Hamilton to Gatesville extension of 32 miles was built in 1910-1911 to establish a primary connection with the St. Louis Southwestern Railway at Gatesville. New brick stations of Cotton Belt design were built at Gatesville, Ireland, and Hamilton, with wooden depots at Levita and Aleman. The first train operated on this new line on February 15, 1911. The competing Temple Northwestern Railway sought a similar franchise and graded from Temple, Texas to Gatesville in 1910, with plans to build on to Hamilton and Comanche, but the SN&ST extensions were built first. The new 31-mile line from Edson, four miles north of Hamilton, to Comanche was completed in 1911 and the first train operated on September 3, 1911. A brick depot was built at Comanche, with wooden depots at Gustine, Lamkin, and Edson. Of note on this line was the spectacular curved Bear Creek Trestle, known on the line as Trestle #5, just west of Edson. The extensions of the SN&ST were built under contract with the firm of Thompson and Scott, based on a proposal. The northward extension to serve the bituminous coal mines at Thurber, Texas was never built.

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