Overview | |
---|---|
Successor | Plant System Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Seaboard Coast Line Railroad |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
Previous gauge | 4 ft 9 in (1,448 mm) |
The Charleston and Savannah Railway was a 19th-century American railroad serving the coastal states of South Carolina and Georgia and running through part of the South Carolina Lowcountry. Its name varied slightly over time:
The system was originally chartered in 1854 as the Charleston and Savannah Railroad. The C&S RR established and operated a 120-mile (190 km) 5 ft (1,524 mm) [1] gauge rail line from Charleston, South Carolina, to Savannah, Georgia, connecting two of the most important port cities in the antebellum southeastern United States. South Carolina state senator Thomas Drayton was the president of the railroad from its earliest planning stages in 1853 until 1856.
During the Civil War, control of the railroad was vital to the protection of Savannah and keeping nearby Confederate troops supplied with food and materiel. In December 1864, during his March to the Sea, Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman sent part of his Union forces forward to cut the line, which would force Confederate general William Hardee to retreat and abandon Savannah. The mission failed, but sections of the railroad would be severely damaged during Sherman's subsequent 1865 Carolinas Campaign. [2]
Following the war, the railroad was reorganized in 1866 as the Savannah and Charleston Railroad but did not complete repairs and reopen for traffic as a 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge line until 1869-70. In 1873 it defaulted on a loan and ended up in bankruptcy. It was then sold to Henry B. Plant (June, 1880s), and the railroad's name was changed to the Charleston and Savannah Railway, becoming part of the Plant System of railroads. [3]
In 1877, the Ashley River Railroad (another Plant System Railroad) was built. The Ashley River Railroad connected to the Charleston and Savannah Railway at Johns Island and ran across the Ashley River to connect with the Northeastern Railroad in North Charleston. The Charleston and Savannah Railway previously connected to other railroads via a ferry across the river.
In the 1880s, the Plant System built the Yonges Island Branch which branched off the main line at Ravenel. This now-abandoned branch ran through Hollywood and Meggett. [4]
Later, the Plant System was sold to the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902. The Charleston and Savannah Railway and the Ashley River Railroad would become part of the Atlantic Coast Line's main line (which extended in its entirety from Richmond, Virginia to Tampa, Florida). The Hardeville to Savannah track was also used by the Southern Railway to connect a Columbia-Hardeville section of track to Florida.
The original line east of Johns Island would become known as the Croghans Branch after the Ashley River Railroad began service. The Croghans Branch has since been abandoned and its right of way is now the West Ashley Greenway. [5] [6]
In 1967, the Atlantic Coast Line merged with its rival, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. The merged company was named the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. [7] 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. The line is still in service from Johns Island to Savannah and it is part of CSX's A Line (Charleston Subdivision).
State | Milepost [8] [9] | City/Location | Station [10] | Connections and notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
SC | AM 408.0 | Charleston | Croghans | near Albemarle Point |
AM 406.4 | St. Andrews | |||
AM 404.3 | Wappoo | |||
AM 403.9 | DuPont | junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Charleston Subdivision | ||
Melvin | ||||
AM 398.7 A 398.7 | Johns Island | Johns Island | junction with Ashley River Railroad (ACL) | |
A 402.0 | Rantowles | |||
A 403.2 | Berry Hill | |||
A 406.7 | Ravenel | Ravenel | junction with Yonges Island Branch | |
A 409.1 | New Road | |||
A 412.9 | Adam's Run | Adam's Run | ||
A 415.8 | Parkers Ferry | Parkers Ferry | ||
A 418.1 | Pon Pon | |||
A 419.2 | Jacksonboro | Jacksonboro | ||
Edash | ||||
A 424.9 | Ashepoo | |||
A 428.7 | Green Pond | Green Pond | junction with Green Pond, Walterboro and Branchville Railroad | |
A 432.3 | White Hall | |||
Blakes | ||||
A 440.8 | Salkehatchie | Salkehatchie | ||
A 443.0 | Yemassee | Yemassee | Amtrak Silver Meteor, Palmetto parts of the station rebuilt in 1955 junction with Charleston and Western Carolina Railway (ACL) | |
A 444.2 | Pocotaligo | Pocotaligo | ||
A 446.5 | Kress | |||
A 449.6 | Gilmania | |||
A 451.4 | Coosawhatchie | Coosawhatchie | ||
A 454.5 | Bashan | |||
A 459.3 | Ridgeland | Ridgeland | ||
Okeetee | ||||
Perrys | ||||
Ferebee | ||||
A 473.9 | Hardeeville | Hardeeville | ||
Purysburg | Purysburg | |||
A 478.5 | Sand Island | |||
GA | A 483.9 | Port Wentworth | Monteith | |
A 490.4 | Savannah | Central Junction | junction with:
| |
A 490.9 | Savannah | continues as Savannah, Florida and Western Railway (ACL) junction with Georgia and Alabama Railway (SAL) | ||
Milepost | City/Location | Station [10] | Connections and notes |
---|---|---|---|
AMB 406.7 | Ravenel | Ravenel | junction with Main Line |
AMB 408.2 | Meggett | Meggett | junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Charleston Subdivision |
AMB 411.2 | Yonges Island | ||
The Georgia Railroad and Banking Company also seen as "GARR", was a historic railroad and banking company that operated in the U.S. state of Georgia. In 1967 it reported 833 million revenue-ton-miles of freight and 3 million passenger-miles; at the end of the year it operated 331 miles (533 km) of road and 510 miles (820 km) of track.
The Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad was the final name of a system of railroads throughout Florida, becoming part of the Seaboard Air Line Railway in 1900. The system, including some of the first railroads in Florida, stretched from Jacksonville west through Tallahassee and south to Tampa. Much of the FC&P network is still in service under the ownership of CSX Transportation.
The Plant System, named after its owner, Henry B. Plant, was a system of railroads and steamboats in the U.S. South, taken over by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902. The original line of the system was the Savannah, Florida and Western Railway, running across southern Georgia. The Plant Investment Company was formed in 1882 to lease and buy other railroads and expand the system. Other major lines incorporated into the system include the Savannah and Charleston Railroad and the Brunswick and Western Railroad.
The Southwestern Alabama Railway (SWA) was incorporated in Alabama, United States, in 1897 and tasked with the construction of a branch line from a connection with the Alabama Midland Railway near Newton, Alabama towards Elba, Alabama. The route was completed to Elba in October 1898, totaled 37.2 miles (59.9 km), and was operated by the Alabama Midland Railway.
The Northeastern Railroad was a 103-mile (166 km) 5 ft gauge railroad that served South Carolina in the second half of the 19th century.
The Ashley River Railroad was a shortline railroad that served the South Carolina Lowcountry region in the late 19th century.
The Green Pond, Walterboro and Branchville Railroad was a railroad that ran from Green Pond, South Carolina northwest to Ehrhardt, South Carolina.
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 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 South Carolina Western Railway was a Southeastern railroad that operated in the early 20th century.
The Savannah Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of Georgia. Through the middle of Savannah, the Savannah Subdivision splits into an east route and a west route. The East Route runs from Savannah, Georgia, to Ogeechee, Georgia, for a total of 15.6 miles (25.1 km). At its north end it continues south from the Charleston Subdivision and the Columbia Subdivision both of the Florence Division and at its south end it continues south as the Nahunta Subdivision. The West Route is located in Savannah, Georgia, and is 9.7 miles (15.6 km) in length. At its north end it branches off of the Savannah Subdivision East Route and at its south end it comes back into the Savannah Subdivision East Route.
The Augusta Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Georgia and South Carolina. The line runs from CSX's A Line at Yemassee, South Carolina to Augusta, Georgia, for a total of 87.7 miles (141.1 km). At its north end it connects with Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX's McCormick Subdivision.
The Charleston Subdivision is a railroad territory owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of South Carolina and Georgia. The line from Florence, South Carolina, to Savannah, Georgia, for a total of 195.8 miles. At its north end it continues south from the South End Subdivision and at its south end it continues south as the Savannah Subdivision of the Jacksonville Division.
The Live Oak, Tampa and Charlotte Harbor Railroad was a historic railroad in Florida chartered by railroad tycoon Henry B. Plant. It was built as an extension of Plant's Live Oak and Rowlands Bluff Railroad. Together, the two lines ran from Live Oak, Florida, to Gainesville via High Springs. The lines were completed in 1884.
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 Florence—Robbins Line was one of the company's secondary main lines that ran from Florence, South Carolina to Robbins. It was built in the late 1800s and large parts of it were built by the Atlantic Coast Line's predecessor companies. Parts of the line are still in service.
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad's Wadesboro—Florence Line was one of the company's secondary main lines that ran from Florence, South Carolina north to Wadesboro, North Carolina. It was built in the late 1800s and large parts of it were built by the Atlantic Coast Line's predecessor companies. Parts of the line are still in service.
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.