Overview | |
---|---|
Locale | North Carolina |
Dates of operation | 1855–1900 |
Predecessor | Wilmington, Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad |
Successor | Seaboard Air Line Railroad |
Technical | |
Length | 152 miles (245 km) |
The Carolina Central Railroad, was a railway company in the United States. It was incorporated in 1855 as the Wilmington and Charlotte Railroad and was renamed the Wilmington, Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad shortly after. It was reorganized as the Carolina Central Railway in 1873. It built 152 miles (245 km) of track, in two unconnected sections, in the southern part of North Carolina. The company was again reorganized as the Carolina Central Railroad in 1880. In 1900, the Carolina Central Railroad was merged into the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. Its lines are now owned by CSX Transportation.
The Wilmington and Charlotte Railroad was incorporated on February 13, 1855, but the name was changed soon after to the Wilmington, Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad. The company intended to build a railway line from Wilmington, North Carolina, on the Atlantic Ocean, to Rutherford County, North Carolina, via Charlotte, North Carolina. [1]
The company completed a 112-mile (180 km) line from Navassa, outside Wilmington, to Rockingham, in 1861. This line included a 78.8-mile (126.8 km)-long segment of straight track between Laurel Hill and East Arcadia, the longest such line in the United States. [2] [3] Separately, the company built a 31-mile (50 km) from Charlotte to Lincolnton, in the direction of Rutherford County. The outbreak of the American Civil War prevented any further construction from taking place. [2] In 1870 an additional 7 miles (11 km) opened between Rockingham and Pee Dee, on the Pee Dee River, leaving the a 63-mile (101 km) gap between the two sections of the railroad. [2] [4]
When the east end of the line in Navassa was completed in 1861, it ran just north of Royster Road to its terminus at the Cape Fear River just south of the Interstate 140 bridge (both road locations as of 2023 [update] ).[ citation needed ] In 1866, the Wilmington, Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad created the Wilmington Railway Bridge Company as a joint venture with the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad to build a bridge over the Cape Fear River. The bridge, which was jointly owned by both railroads, was completed in 1867 allowing both railroad to extend into central Wilmington. [5]
The company entered receivership in 1872 and was sold in 1873 to the Carolina Central Railway, which in 1874 completed the connection between Wilmington and Charlotte. [1] [4] The railroad finally reached Rutherford via a new extension of the line in 1877. [5] Another change in corporate identity occurred in 1880, when the Carolina Central Railway became the Carolina Central Railroad, controlled by a predecessor of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. [5]
In 1896, a branch was built from Ellenboro south to Caroleen and the Henrietta Mill. [6]
The Carolina Central Railroad was ultimately merged into the Seaboard Air Line Railroad in 1900. [5]
Wilmington and Monroe Subdivisions | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Status | Segments still operating under CSX |
Owner | Seaboard Air Line Railroad |
Termini | |
Technical | |
Line length | 304.3 mi (489.7 km) |
Electrification | No |
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad operated the line as their Wilmington Subdivision east of Hamlet and as their Monroe Subdivision west of Hamlet to Rutherfordton. The branch to Caroleen was known as the Caroleen Subdivision. [7] [8] The line would be the Seaboard Air Line's only line to the port city of Wilmington, which by then was the headquarters and a major hub of their main competitor, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. [9]
The Seaboard built their historic Hamlet station at the junction with the main line in Hamlet which would become a major junction for the company. In the 1950s, the company was running a local passenger train from Wilmington to Charlotte daily. At the same time, Seaboard's Silver Comet , The Cherry Blossoms, and The Capitol ran the line daily from the main line at Hamlet to Monroe, where they turned down the Abbeville Subdivision toward Atlanta. On the Wilmington Subdivision, a through-freight train ran daily along with separate local freight trains which ran three days a week. On the Monroe Subdivision, the Tar Heel, a named freight train ran from Hamlet to Bostic daily along with separate local freight trains. [8] [7]
Seaboard discontinued its local passenger train from Wilmington to Charlotte in 1958, ending its passenger service to Wilmington. [10]
In 1967, the Seaboard Air Line merged with its rival, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL). The merged company was named the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL). Seaboard Coast Line continued operating the line as the Wilmington Subdivision and Monroe Subdivision. [11] [12] The Silver Comet was discontinued the following year. [13]
In 1980, the Seaboard Coast Line's parent company merged with the Chessie System, creating the CSX Corporation. The CSX Corporation initially operated the Chessie and Seaboard Systems separately until 1986, when they were merged into CSX Transportation. CSX extended the Monroe Subdivision name from Monroe to Abbeville as it is today and truncated the Abbeville Subdivision to Abbeville. The former Monroe Subdivision west of Monroe towards Charlotte, North Carolina is now the Charlotte Subdivision.
Today, the former Carolina Central Railroad is still in service from Wilmington to Bostic and is still operated by CSX Transportation.
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The segment from Wilmington to East Junction in Hamlet is still operated as CSX's Wilmington Subdivision. [14] It is now the only remaining rail line serving Wilmington, North Carolina since all former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad lines to Wilmington have since been severed. [15]
The line from East Junction in Hamlet west to Pee Dee is now the east-west segment of CSX's Hamlet Terminal Subdivision. From Pee Dee west to Monroe is still known as the Monroe Subdivision, which now continues beyond Monroe down to Abbeville on the former Georgia, Carolina and Northern Railway. [14]
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Note: Not to scale |
The line from Monroe though Charlotte to Bostic is now CSX's Charlotte Subdivision. The Charlotte Subdivision now terminates at CSX's Blue Ridge Subdivision (a former Clinchfield Railroad line) in Bostic. [14] It connects to the Terrell Subdivision and the Charlotte Western Railroad in Mount Holly. [16]
The line from Mount Holly, North Carolina to Terrell, North Carolina is called the Terrell Subdivision. The line runs for a total of 23.2 miles (37.3 km). At its southern end the line continues north from the Charlotte Subdivision and at its northern end the line comes to an end at Marshall Steam Station, owned by Duke Power.
In the 1980s, CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway consolidated their parallel lines between Forest City and Rutherfordton. In the 1990, this remaining track and track from Forest City to Bostic was sold to the Thermal Belt Railway. Track from Forest City to Rutherfordton was abandoned in the early 2000s and is now part of the Thermal Belt Rail Trail. Track from Bostic to Forest City is still in place but has not been used since 2013. [17]
Milepost | City/Location | Station [8] [7] | Connections and notes |
---|---|---|---|
SE 364.2 | Wilmington | Nutt Street Station | junction with Wilmington and Weldon Railroad (ACL) |
SE 362.6 | Hilton Yard | ||
SE 360.3 | Navassa | junction with Wilmington and Manchester Railroad (ACL) | |
SE 360.0 | Navassa Yard | ||
SE 349.8 | Northwest | ||
SE 347.0 | Acme | ||
SE 338.8 | East Arcadia | ||
SE 360.0 | Council | ||
SE 327.1 | Rosindale | ||
SE 318.9 | Clarkton | Clarkton | |
SE 310.8 | Bladenboro | Bladenboro | |
SE 301.9 | Allenton | ||
SE 297.1 | Lumberton | Lumberton | junction with Carolina Northern Railroad |
SE 291.3 | Lowe | ||
SE 285.7 | Pembroke | Pembroke | junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Main Line |
SE 278.4 | Alma | ||
SE 275.9 | Maxton | Maxton | junction with Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railway Bennettsville Branch (ACL) |
SE 274.6 | McNairs | ||
SE 269.1 | Laurinburg | Laurinburg | junction with Laurinburg and Southern Railroad |
SE 263.6 | Laurel Hill | ||
SE 260.8 | Old Hundred | ||
SE 254.3 | Hamlet | East Junction | junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Andrews Subdivision |
SE 253.4 SF 253.4 | Hamlet | junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Main Line | |
SF 253.8 | West Hamlet | ||
SF 259.3 | Rockingham | Rockingham | junction with Rockingham Railroad (ACL) |
SF 266.7 | Pee Dee | ||
SF 271.0 | Gravelton | ||
SF 273.0 | Lilesville | Lilesville | |
SF 278.1 | Wadesboro | Wadesboro | junction with: |
SF 281.7 | Russellville | ||
SF 285.2 | Polkton | Polkton | |
SF 289.9 | Peachland | Peachland | |
SF 295.8 | Marshville | Marshville | Siding: ~ 10,300 ft |
SF 300.4 | Wingate | Wingate | |
SF 306.2 | Monroe | Monroe | junction with Georgia, Carolina and Northern Railway (SAL) Yard: 0.9 mi |
SF 313.3 | Indian Trail | Stouts | Siding: ~ 13,400 ft |
SF 319.5 | Matthews | Matthews | |
SF 326.2 | Charlotte | Rama | Siding: ~ 1,000 ft |
SF 328.3 | East Charlotte Yard | ||
SF 330.2 | Charlotte | junction with:
| |
SF 334.2 | Pinoca Yard | ||
SF 337.3 | Thrift | ||
SF 341.8 | Mount Holly | Mount Holly | junction with Piedmont and Northern Railway |
SF 348.6 | Stanley | Stanley | |
SF 355.8 | Iron | ||
SF 362.3 | Lincolnton | Lincolnton | |
SF 367.4 | Crouse | ||
SF 372.4 | Cherryville | Cherryville | |
SF 383.7 | Shelby | Shelby | |
SF 391.8 | Lattimore | Lattimore | junction with Charleston, Cincinnati and Chicago Railroad (SOU) |
SF 398.2 | Ellenboro | Ellenboro | junction with branch to Caroleen |
SF 403.8 | Bostic | Bostic | junction with Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway |
SF 405.5 | CC&O Yard | ||
SF 407.4 | Forest City | Forest City | |
SF 410.9 | Rutherfordton | Rutherfordton | junction with Charleston, Cincinnati and Chicago Railroad (SOU) |
Milepost | City/Location | Station [8] | Connections and notes |
---|---|---|---|
SFA 398.2 | Ellenboro | Ellenboro | junction with Main line |
SFA 402.7 | Caroleen | ||
SFAB 403.4 | Henrietta |
The Georgia, Carolina and Northern Railway was a Southeastern railroad that began after Reconstruction and operated up until the start of the 20th century. It ran from Monroe, North Carolina to Atlanta, Georgia and later became part of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad.
The Wilmington and Manchester Railroad was a railroad that served South Carolina and North Carolina before, during and after the American Civil War. It received its charter in 1846 and began operation in 1853 from Wilmington, North Carolina, extending west to the now-defunct town of Manchester, South Carolina. The track gauge was 5 ft.
The Palmetto Railroad was a Southeastern railroad that served South Carolina and North Carolina in the late 19th century.
The Georgetown and Western Railroad was a Southeastern railroad that served South Carolina in the late 19th century and early 20th century. At its greatest extent, it ran from Lane, South Carolina east to the port city of Georgetown.
The Central Railroad of South Carolina was a South Carolina railroad that operated following Reconstruction. It ran between the town of Lane and Sumter, a distance of about 40 miles (64 km). The line is in service today as CSX's Lane Subdivision.
The Raleigh and Augusta Air Line Railroad was a North Carolina railroad that operated in the second half of the 19th century.
CSX Transportation's Atlanta Terminal Subdivision comprises the company's railroad lines and infrastructure operating in and around Atlanta, Georgia. The Atlanta Terminal Subdivision consists of five lines and a number of yards. Most of the lines in the Atlanta Terminal Subdivision date back to the 1800s.
The Aberdeen Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in North Carolina. The line runs along CSX's S Line from Raleigh, North Carolina, to Marston, North Carolina, for a total of 86.9 miles. At its north end it continues south from the Norlina Subdivision and at its south end it continues south as the Hamlet Terminal Subdivision.
The Hamlet Terminal Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in North Carolina. The Hamlet Terminal Subdivision is composed of three lines, all of which originate in Marston and terminate in Hamlet.
The Monroe Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina. The line runs from Pee Dee, North Carolina to Abbeville, South Carolina, for a total of 177 miles. The full line is dispatched by Centralized traffic control.
The Portsmouth Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in Virginia and North Carolina. The line connects CSX's network with the port city of Portsmouth, Virginia. The Portsmouth Subdivision was historically operated by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, a CSX predecessor.
The South End Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina. The line runs from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, to Florence, South Carolina, for a total of 172.8 miles (278.1 km). At its north end the line continues south from the North End Subdivision and at its south end the line continues south as the Charleston Subdivision. The South End Subdivision is a part of CSX's A Line, one of their mainline which ultimately extends from Richmond, Virginia to Tampa, Florida.
The Spartanburg Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The line runs from Spartanburg, South Carolina, to Greenwood, South Carolina, for a total of 61.8 miles (99.5 km). At its north end the line continues north on the Blue Ridge Subdivision and at its south end the line continues south as the Monroe Subdivision.
The W&W Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The line today runs from just south of Wilson, North Carolina, to Wallace, North Carolina, for a total of 69.1 miles. At its north end the line connects to CSX's A Line. The line's name stands for the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad, the company that originally built the line.
The CSX A Line forms the backbone of the historic Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Main Line, the backbone of their network in the southeastern United States. The main line runs from Richmond, Virginia to Port Tampa just southwest of Tampa, Florida, a distance of nearly 900 miles. Along its route it passes through Petersburg, Rocky Mount, Florence, Charleston, Savannah, Jacksonville, and Orlando. With the exception of a short 61-mile segment in Greater Orlando, the entire line is owned by CSX Transportation.
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad’s Main Line was the backbone of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad's network in the southeastern United States. The main line ran from Richmond, Virginia to Tampa, Florida, a distance of over 800 miles. Along its route it passed through Petersburg, Raleigh, Columbia, Savannah, Jacksonville, and Ocala, Florida. While some segments of the line have been abandoned as of 2023, most of the line is still in service and is owned by the Seaboard Air Line's successor, CSX Transportation as their S-Line.
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad's East Carolina Line was the unofficial name of their line running from Hamlet, North Carolina through eastern South Carolina to Savannah, Georgia. Officially designated on Seaboard employee timetables as the Andrews Subdivision from Hamlet to Andrews, South Carolina, and the Charleston Subdivision from Andrews south, the line was known as the East Carolina Line by Seaboard employees due to its location in eastern South Carolina. With connections to the Seaboard's main line at both ends, the East Carolina Line was frequently used as an alternative freight route for the company.
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad's Wilmington—Pee Dee Line was a railroad line running from Wilmington, North Carolina west to Pee Dee, South Carolina. Running in an east–west trajectory, it notably passed through Lake Waccamaw, Chadbourn, Nichols, and Mullins. Some of the line is still operating today.
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad's Parkton—Sumter Line was one of the company's secondary main lines running between Parkton, North Carolina and Sumter, South Carolina.