About the HEARNE DEPOT
Hearne is and always has been a railroad town. Since the 1870’s, the Houston & Texas Central RR (Southern Pacific) and the International Railroad (Missouri Pacific) have crossed paths here. Eventually highway 6 and highway 79 paralleled these rail tracks, and also cross in Hearne. Today, railroaders from Houston (south), Ft Worth (north), Longview (east), and San Antonio (west) begin/end their work day in the Hearne area. Because of its location, Hearne has been, and still is, the center of railroad activity.
The H & TC had reached from Houston to Millican (south of College Station) when the Civil War broke out and work was halted. Work was resumed after the war in 1868, and the tracks reached Hearne in 1869. A local farming family named Hearne donated land for a town so it was named after that family.
The Hearne Depot was built in 1901 and served both SP and Mopac railroads for over 50 years.
The Railway Express office (freight house) is far left.
Another older photo from a different angle, showing the depot on the right and the “eating room’ on the left. Notice
Tower 15 on the far right. It was torn down in the 30 s and the interlocker moved inside the Depot.
This is the only known photo of the tower.
In the 1980’s, after the Union Pacific bought both the Southern Pacific and Missouri Pacific, they were in the process of tearing down the Depot. Some Hearne leaders stepped up and negotiated with the UP to save the Depot. UP decided to give away the Depot – but with one stipulation – it had to be moved off of its property!
A hundred years after it ‘birth’, the Hearne Depot was ‘reborn’ as it was picked up and moved 660 yards across the tracks and Highway 6 to its current location. Grant $ and local government $ was used to restore the Depot,
Moving the Depot was just the beginning of the work of restoring it to some of its former glory. You can see photos of what the Depot looked like below. It took ten years to get the Depot in the condition it is today. In 2011, it was re-opened at a Museum/Visitor Center.
When you visit the Depot, a curator will lead you on a tour of interactive displays and artifacts in and around the Depot. You will hear oral histories of railroading in the Brazos Valley and personal stories of local residents in an authentic depot built by the Southern Pacific in 1901. You will be captivated by the model trains featuring ‘fallen flag’ railroads running around expertly-built structures. Before you leave, you will understand why Hearne is referred to as the “Crossroads of Texas”.
The Hearne Depot is an ideal location for rail fanning, photo shoots, school and senior adult groups, and special occasions. We look forward to sharing our history with you.
Hours
Wednesday thru Saturday
11am – 4pm
Sunday – Tuesday
Closed
Admission: Free! | Donations are welcome
For more information, please contact us at (806-790-4659 Bob’s cell)