Don's Rail Photos

Chaparral Steel Co.

Gerdau Amersteel Corp.

This company was a division of TXI and started operation at Midlothian in 1975. It has been expanded several times and converts scrap steel into structural steel and rebar products. The biggest resource is automobiles, but they are also the destination for steel from Southwest Railway Car Parts at nearby Venus.

A second plant was opened at Petersburg, VA, in 1999 and the company was purchased by Gerdau Amersteel in 2007.

102, S2, was built by Alco.

240, S4m, was built by Alco in June 1951, #78799, as Minnesota Transfer Ry 103.  It was sold to Birmingham Rail & Locomotive and resold as Texas & Northern 17.  It was rebuilt in July 1980 as 46 and sold as Chaparral 103.  It was renumbered 240.

2281, SW1200, was built by Electro-Motive in July 1965, #30248, FN 4477-10, as Southern Pacific 1616, Class DS124. It was renumbered 2281, Class ES412-5, in 1966, and later sold to Chaparral as 2281.

2283, SW1200, was built by Electro-Motive in September 1965, #30250, FN 4477-12, as SP 1618, Class DS124. It was renumbered 2283, Class ES412-5, in 1966, and later sold to Chaparral as 2283. It was sold to National Ry Equipment Co as NREX 2283

2284, SW1200, was built by Electro-Motive in September 1965, #30645, FN 4484-6, as Chicago Rock Island & Pacific 927.  It was sold as Iowa RR 10 in 1981 and resold as Watco 3.  It was sold to Chaparral as 2284.

2285, SW1200, was built as an S12 by Baldwin in June 1952, #75184, as Missouri-Kansas-Texas 1212. It was renumbered 44 in 1960 and rebuilt by Electro-Motive on November 28, 1962, #27801, FN7633-2, as SW1200 but apparently only the trucks were used.  In 1984 it was sold to Belton RR as 44.  The line was taken over as Georgetown RR 44 and sold as Cargill/Plantation Foods 44, but it was apparently not repainted or lettered.  It was sold to Watco and sold as Chaparral 2285 in 2002. It was sold to National Railway Equipment Co as NREX 2285 in December 2013.

Thanks for roster information: Randy Keller