The Hearne Depot was built by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1901 as a passenger station. For many years, the Missouri Pacific Texas Eagle also used the Depot for passenger service through Hearne (twice a day) SP ran four passenger trains a day (to Dallas) through Hearne until 1954.
Probably when SP ceased passenger service, the Mopac built a small depot at their track on Cedar Street. This depot was torn down in 1973. They continued to run the Eagle until 1969 when Amtrak took over. Amtrak continues to run the Eagle, but through Temple rather than Hearne.
For many years the Depot was used for storage and dispatching, and in the 1990’s after Union Pacific acquired the SP, the Depot was in danger of being destroyed. Several Hearne leaders met with the UP in an attempt to save the Depot. The UP leaders decided to give the Depot to the City of Hearne, but with one requirement – it had to be moved off of UP property.
Moving the Depot
Through grants and hotel-motel tax money, the City was able to move the depot across Highway 6, and 100 years after its ‘birth’ in 2001, the restoration work began, By 2011 work was finished and the Hearne Depot began its new life as a place to honor the railroad history and people of Hearne.
notice the pneumatic piping (above the pickup truck) for sending train orders to the office