 Original route (click to enlarge) | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Successor | Atlantic Coast Line Railroad |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 5 ft (1,524 mm) |
The Conway Seashore Railroad was a South Carolina, US, railroad that operated in the early 20th century. It ran from Conway southeast to Myrtle Beach.
The Conway Seashore Railroad was chartered by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1899. The Conway Seashore Railroad was built by the sons of local businessman Franklin Burroughs. Franklin Burroughs was the founder of the Burroughs and Collins Company of Conway, predecessor of modern-day Burroughs & Chapin. [1] It began operation in 1900 and in 1904 the name of the carrier was changed to the Conway Coast and Western Railroad. [2]
In 1912, the Conway Seashore was bought by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) which had previously bought the Wilmington, Chadbourn and Conway Railroad in 1898. After the purchase, the line was incorporated into the Atlantic Coast Line's Myrtle Beach Branch. The ACL operated both freight and passenger service to Myrtle Beach. [3]
The Atlantic Coast Line became the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in 1967 after merging with its former rival, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. [4] In 1980, the Seaboard Coast Line's parent company merged with the Chessie System, creating the CSX Corporation, which initially operated the Chessie and Seaboard Systems separately until 1986, when they were merged into CSX Transportation.
Today, the line is still in place and it is owned by the R.J. Corman Railroad Group [5] R.J. Corman acquired the line and restored freight service up to Pine Island in 2015. However, tracks to Myrtle Beach proper are inactive since the drawbridge over the Intracoastal Waterway between Pine Island and Myrtle Beach has been inoperable since 2011. [6]
The Wilmington and Weldon Railroad (W&W) name began use in 1855, having been originally chartered as the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad in 1834. When it opened in 1840, the line was the longest railroad in the world with 161.5 miles (259.9 km) of track. It was constructed in 4 ft 8 in gauge. At its terminus in Weldon, North Carolina, it connected with the Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad and the Petersburg Railroad. The railroad also gave rise to the city of Goldsboro, North Carolina, the midpoint of the W&W RR and the railroad intersection with the North Carolina 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 Columbia and Sumter Railroad was a railroad in South Carolina running between those two cities that began operating immediately after the American Civil War. It later became part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad network. The railroad is still in service today and it is now operated by CSX Transportation as their Eastover Subdivision.
The Wilmington, Chadbourn and Conway Railroad was a Southeastern railroad that operated between Chadbourn, North Carolina and Conway, South Carolina near the end of the 19th century.
The South Carolina Western Railway was a Southeastern railroad that operated in the early 20th century.
The Jesup Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in Georgia. The line runs from Jesup, Georgia to Folkston, Georgia for a length of 72.7 miles. It notable passes through Waycross, Georgia, a major CSX freight terminal and CSX operates numerous freight trains over the line. The Jesup Subdivision was once a major route for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, one of CSX's predecessors.
The Wildwood Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in Florida. It runs along CSX's S Line from Baldwin south to Zephyrhills via Ocala and Wildwood for a total of 155.7 miles. The S Line is CSX's designation for the line that was the Seaboard Air Line Railroad main line from 1903 to 1967.
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 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 Tampa and Gulf Coast Railroad (T&G) was a railroad company in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida in the United States. It initially built and operated a line that ran from the Tampa Northern Railroad main line in Lutz west to Tarpon Springs and into Pasco County. Additional track starting from Sulphur Springs running west towards Clearwater and south to St. Petersburg was built shortly after. The railroad was informally known as the "Tug n' Grunt". While it was the second railroad to serve St. Petersburg and Clearwater after the Orange Belt Railway, it had the advantage of being the first to connect the area directly with Tampa.
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 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 Southeastern Railroad was a railroad line in southern North Carolina that ran between Elrod and Chadbourn.
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad’s Main Line was the backbone of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad's network in the southeastern United States. The main line ran from Richmond, Virginia to Port Tampa just southwest of Tampa, Florida, a distance of nearly 900 miles. Along its route it passed 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 still owned by the Atlantic Coast Line's successor, CSX Transportation, and is still in service as their A Line.
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 2022, 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 Myrtle Beach Branch was a railroad line that at its greatest extent ran from company's main line in Elrod, North Carolina south to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The Atlantic Coast Line used the branch for freight and transport passengers to Myrtle Beach, which was becoming a popular tourist destination.
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.