AS I mentioned in a previous post my time on the Cotton Belt dates to 1972-1973. Commerce, Texas was the place. East Texas State University won the NAIA that year and Harvey Martin got drafted by the Cowboys. Commerce was a crew change point on the Cotton Belt Secondary Main. The line branched off from Mt. Pleasant and went through Commerce on its way to Dallas and Ft. Worth. Besides the Sulpher Springs Switcher and the Commerce Greenville Dodger the town was served by four through freights. Number 17 was a daily Pine bluff-Ft. Worth train. Its opposite number was number 18. The other pair of trains was number 343 from Pine Bluff to Dallas and its opposite number 318. During the late winter of 1973 a third pair of trains was put on between Pine Bluff and Dallas. this pair was the 317 and 344 trains. they were billed as the Blue Streak Texas although they looked like any other freight through Commerce.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by SSW9389: Harvey Martin got drafted by the Cowboys.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Wow! Are we all feeling old now? Thanks for the interesting post! Charlie ------------------ Ship It On The FRISCO! | IAMOKA.com
