This was a suburban road promoted from the outset by the New Orleans & Carrollton RR Co. (B 1/16/1840 and NOCB 6/25/1840). But financing posed an enormous problem, so soon after the Species Crisis of the late 1830s. Local banks following the closure of the National Bank made many rash investments, building a gigantic bubble, ending with a massive blowoff.
However, by 1850 there had been enough time since the catastrophe to enable some projects to begin — the Jefferson & Lake Pontchartrain Ry. Co. was one of them. By 1852 the J&LP was electing officers and starting construction (DP 12/24/1852, 1/13/1853). The RR was a continuation of the NO&C to and along the protection levee to a point on Lake Pontchartrain called Bucktown. Lake steamers found the docking facilities there adequate.
Thursday, the 14th of April, 1853, was set for the road to begin service (DP 4/13/1853), and it did so with trains running through from Tivoli Station, via Carrollton, to Bucktown.
The first equipment were poss. BLT by NO&C; older cars also poss. used.
The NO&C enlarged its locomotive roster in the early 1850s to handle traffic on its subsidiary J&LP (see loco roster).
The port at Bucktown was busy with trains exchanging freight and passengers with the following schedule: Monday “Creole”; Tuesday “California”; Wednesday “Creole”; Thursday “California”; Friday “Creole” at 3:00 p.m.; Saturday “California” at 3:00 p.m. and “Creole” at 4:00 p.m.; Sunday both ships return from Mandeville, Lewisburg, Covington, and Madisonville in time for the 7:30 p.m. train.
The Civil War was severe enough in its economic hardships to cause the road's abandonment on the 23rd of November, 1864 (31st of December, 1864 according to G). Some of the equipment used on the J&LP were poss. among those in 1867 used by the New Orleans & Carrollton RR Co. (which see, this section, p. d).
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