This book tells the story of the growth of the railroad industry in southwest Louisiana through photographs and documentation of the first street railroads in Lake Charles and the arrival of logging trains and passenger service. Railroads of Lake Charles revisits the saga of the Kansas City Southern, Missouri Pacific, Southern Pacific, and other early lines. It also details the branch lines that originated in Lake Charles--the Lake Charles & Northern, which operated a mixed train daily to DeRidder, and the Southern Pacific line, which operated from Lake Charles to Lake Arthur to service the rice-farming communities along its route. The Lake Charles-to-DeQuincy line of the Kansas City Southern is also included.