Railroad and Transportation Museum

The Railroad and Transportation Museum located in the NOGN Depot and opened on May 9, 2014 and in 2022 the artifacts were stored when the Whistle Stop Gift Shop closed.  The museum featured a historical view of the early years of our community outlining the advancement of transportation and its impact on our area.  Chim Stogner worked with other volunteers and local historians to create and maintain the museum and is in the process of finding a new location.  Suggestions are welcome and encouraged.

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The depot has been well maintained and has not changed much over the years. Visit the Coffee Caboose Roasters Coffee Shop, Bakery, and Cafe' and enjoy a great cup of coffee, fresh baked bread, delicious cakes and other wonderful baked goods.  

The Fernwood & Gulf Railroad was incorporated on March 31, 1906 by the Enochs family, owners of the large Fernwood Lumber Co., to take over the mainline of the lumber company’s logging railroad extending eastward from Fernwood 20.3 miles to Tylertown. The lumber company continued to operate logging spurs off of the F&G. The F&G was gradually extended eastward until it finally reached Columbia and the railroad was renamed Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf on May 1, 1920. The last 2.68 miles from Foxworth to Columbia was over the New Orleans Great Northern, later part of the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio. FC&G did build its own depot and terminal facilities in Columbia. On September 1, 1972, the FC&G became part of the newly formed Illinois Central Gulf, who abandoned the line in segments, the last of which was removed by the early 1980’s. Today there is very little left to remind us where the FC&G used to run. 

The Fernwood & Gulf undertook a final eastward extension under its own corporate identity to reach the New Orleans Great Northern main line at Foxworth in the fall of 1919, a distance of 9.55 miles from Kokomo.  This completed the main line of 41.44 miles essentially as it was to be operated for the next fifty plus years. 

FC&G's depot in Tylertown in 1972. The GM&O depot is barely visible.

The Doodlebug!

NOGN depot is shown on the left and FC&G's depot on the right.