Somerville, Texas

Location Rating: T-C-x

My son and I stayed at the Somerville Motel in Somerville, TX last week (see
attached scan of their business card - the tracks run across the top of the
picture). Somerville is the point at which the former Santa Fe (now BNSF)
lines from Brownwood, TX split to go to either Beaumont or Galveston. The
motel is located south of the junction on the Galveston side. The lines are
moderately busy, and the trains can be clearly seen from the rooms,
especially the upstairs rooms. The motel itself is not new or squeeky clean
by any means, and will probably not satisfy the fastidious traveller, but
for the hardcore railfan it's more than adequate. The rooms were quite
large, reasonably clean, and the beds were comfortable. Drawbacks are no
cable TV, no pool and no phones in rooms.

There is a Super 8 just across the highway which is much nicer (and offers all
these amenites for $25 a night more) but the tracks cannot be easily seen
(if at all) from their rooms. For those who like such things, there is also a
Mexican restaurant adjacent to the Somerville Motel which is quite good.
North of Somerville on Route 36 was a restaurant advertising "Texas Kosher" meals.
We didn't try it, but it certainly sounded interesting. Somerville itself is
not much of a town, and the Koppers railroad tie treatment (creosote) plant NE of
town lends a distinct odor to the entire area when the wind is right.
This information was provided by Mike Woodruff