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Birds Siding: History and Origin of Name

Railroads Ryan Place South Hemphill Heights Rosemont Shaw-Clarke

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#1 bg-raves

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Posted 02 July 2013 - 06:38 PM

 

It would be very difficult to do anything about the vertical alignment of BNSF's Fort Worth Sub. main through this area since it's pretty much a steady 1% climb from the Trinity River bridge through Tower 55 all the way to Birds. Flatten it in one spot and you have to increase the 

 

I searched the web and found that Birds is the place near Lipscomb and Capps where the trains sit and wait to pass.  Do you know where the name Birds comes from? 



#2 John T Roberts

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Posted 02 July 2013 - 08:59 PM

Birds Siding actually extends all the way southward almost to Biddison and Ryan Avenue, just north of where the east/west FWWR line ties into the north/south BNSF line.  I don't know the origin of the name "Birds".



#3 Not Sure

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Posted 03 July 2013 - 02:05 AM

 

 

It would be very difficult to do anything about the vertical alignment of BNSF's Fort Worth Sub. main through this area since it's pretty much a steady 1% climb from the Trinity River bridge through Tower 55 all the way to Birds. Flatten it in one spot and you have to increase the 

 

I searched the web and found that Birds is the place near Lipscomb and Capps where the trains sit and wait to pass.  Do you know where the name Birds comes from? 

 

 

Good question. Although I typed it as "Birds," I've also seen it as "Bird's." I don't have an answer, but I suppose the possessive form could suggest the possibility that someone with the last name Bird owned land near this area. It would be interesting to do some research in the deed records and see if there's something to that.

 

The tracks that curve to the west from the south end of the siding also used to cross the Santa Fe at this location and continue along the north side of Biddison all the way to what is now known as the Ney Bypass (the UP tracks due east of this area). You can still see this old railroad grade in places. This east-west route was part of the Fort Worth & Rio Grande Railway, which ultimately came to be owned by the Santa Fe and as John Roberts points out, is now owned by Fort Worth & Western. 



#4 John T Roberts

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Posted 03 July 2013 - 10:58 AM

The section of railway that was abandoned to the east of the Santa Fe line has been planted with trees and is now owned by the city.  The city has named this Victory Forest Park.  The Rosemont and Shaw-Clarke Neighborhoods worked hard to get the railroad to abandon the right-of-way and to get the city to plant the trees along the narrow strip of park that runs between Ryan Avenue and Hemphill Street along W. Biddison.  It appears we are getting way off topic.  I may start a new thread about the railroad siding.



#5 Not Sure

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Posted 05 July 2013 - 11:54 AM

One other note about Birds siding. It wasn't originally just a siding, meaning a track that allows for other trains to pass. It was originally a small transfer yard for interchange between the GC&SF (a predecessor to Santa Fe and BNSF) and the Fort Worth & Rio Grande.

 

There was also an interlocking tower at this location, Tower 124. Here is a link to page describing the history of Tower 124:

 

http://www.towers.tx...com/124/124.htm

 

This page has some good information and mentions the "Houston & Texas Central" or "Texas Central," which is a predecessor of the Southern Pacific Railway.



#6 Keller Pirate

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Posted 05 July 2013 - 10:27 PM

I did some checking on the name origin and didn't really come up with anything.  One of the original directors of the Santa Fe was named Bird, but he served nearly 20 years before the line was built into Ft. Worth.  The directors of the Gulf Colorado and Santa Fe have stations named for every one of them, but none were named Bird.  As a WAG I suspect it might be named after Bird's Fort, of Birdville fame, but the fort was 40 years before the railroad was built.  I'm sure the answer is out there somewhere, I'll keep looking.



#7 John T Roberts

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Posted 06 July 2013 - 07:20 PM

Also, Bird's Fort wasn't anywhere close to Bird's Siding.  Granted, it was in the same county, but several miles away.  I'm curious because I live very close to the siding.







Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: Railroads, Ryan Place, South Hemphill Heights, Rosemont, Shaw-Clarke

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