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Blacklands Railroad hauls transformers, weighing 500,000 lbs each to solar farm projects in the surrounding communities. Family owned and operated, Blacklands Railroad offers short line railroad and transloading services to buyers in the area for easier access to larger shipments, incapable of being transported by trucks.
Family owned and operated, Blacklands Railroad (BLR) of Sulphur Springs has found its way into the clean-energy movement, expanding throughout Northeast Texas. The company began operations 23 years ago, headed by Wayne Defebaugh and his two sons, Conner and Cameron Defebaugh, in 1999. They were named “Short Line Railroad of the Year” in 2011 by Railway Age Magazine.
Manned by only 25 employees, BLR is only one of 100 privately-owned short line railroads across the United States — they also do all of their own track maintenance — an incredible feat for an independent railroad.
Short-lines offer a unique opportunity for small communities to distribute major product, transporting tons of freight that are often too heavy to ship by trucks. “It’s the only way,” said Wayne Defebaugh, President and CEO of BLR.
Not only are they providing more access to their community, the local company is now proving to be a significant contributor to the multiple solar farm projects popping up in the area — improving growth for economic success.
Defebaugh stated their railcars are currently moving transformers, weighing in at 500,000 lbs. each, to builder locations in the surrounding communities, such as Lamar and Hunt counties.
The transformers are first shipped from Mexico to Mount Pleasant by Union Pacific, where BLRtransfers the load via their short line railroad to Winfield, 30 minutes east of Sulphur Springs.
From Winfield, the transformers are then transloaded, or lifted onto a specialized truck to ship them directly to the solar farms.
So far, BLR has shipped seven transformers and plans to ship up to nine more.
Most solar farms in the area use photovoltaic systems, which create electricity out of converted solar energy.
As a critical component, the transformers are then used to power or distribute solar energy, connecting to the power grid to transfer alternating currents, providing electricity to local communities.
In turn, green energy takes the load off the grid, while lowering production and maintenance costs, ensuring a fair return to taxpayers from solar resources.
The company is somewhat of a green-energy resource itself, as it uses very little diesel fuel to power up to 120 railcars, each holding four semi-truck loads of freight — only using one gallon of fuel to move one ton, 450 miles. BLR owns eight locomotives, each operated by a crew of only two men. The company decided to utilize an under-used rail line in order to better assist their community. “Most people don’t know we exist,” said Defebaugh, “but we are very tenacious about finding customers and people who want to use the rail.” BLR runs eight miles east from Mount Pleasant to Winfield. The railroad centrally operates in Tyler, Longview, Texarkana and Shreveport. Beyond Texas, the company delivers freight to Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.
They haul numerous commodities and provide switching services 24/7 with access to their interchange partner, Union Pacific.
After leveraging their knowledge and experience in the rail industry, BLR decided to begin offering transloading services to shippers looking to move goods by rail, regardless of whether they have direct rail access. These locations include Odessa, Henderson, Winfield, Longview and Shreveport. The railroad utilizes Black Gold Terminals, a subsidiary of BLR that specializes in transloading, contract switching and industrial rail park switching.
The company also operates a full-service repair and maintenance facility locate in Longview. The shop is the only facility located south of Kansas City on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railway, one of North America’s leading freight transportation companies. BLR also offers rail car storage with Union Pacific, Kansas City Southern and BNSF.
Uniquely, Wayne Defebaugh’s father worked for the railroad in Kansas City years ago. Wayne decided to continue his father’s legacy after moving to Texas.
Today, his company ships raw materials such as rock, sand, fly ash; building materials, such as lumber, pipe, steel; chemicals such as plastic, ethanol and petroleum; and food products such as grain, corn, syrup, beer and wine.
Shipping by rail typically costs a third of the price of the same shipment by truck, so Wayne and his family are cutting the costs for all local buyers. By staying involved in renewable energy projects, BLR is sure to provide more efficient and cost-effective services to the community for years to come.