 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Successor | Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Seaboard Coast Line Railroad |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
The Fayetteville Cutoff was a railroad line in North Carolina and South Carolina built by predecessors of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad connecting Wilson, North Carolina with Pee Dee, South Carolina (just east of Florence). Its main purpose was to shorten the Atlantic Coast Line's main line.
By 1885, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad and the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad together formed a continuous route from Weldon southeast to Wilmington, which then turned back east to Florence, South Carolina. Both of these railroads were controlled by William T. Walters and were operated independently but were advertised together as the Atlantic Coast Line. Despite the importance of the port city of Wilmington, this route gave the Atlantic Coast Line a disadvantage over its competitors who operated more direct north–south routes in North Carolina. To combat this disadvantage, the management of the railroads planned the Fayetteville Cutoff, which would run from Contentnea (just south of Wilson, North Carolina) through Fayetteville to the Pee Dee River in South Carolina just east of Florence. The route was largely built in three segments. [1]
The northern segment of the line, which was chartered as the Wilson & Fayetteville Railroad, was built from 1885 to 1886. It branched off the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad at Contentnea (just south of Wilson) and ran to Fayetteville. [1]
The southern segment of the line, which was chartered as the Florence Railroad by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1882 opened in 1888. It ran from the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad from Pee Dee (east of Florence) north to the North Carolina/South Carolina border near Rowland, North Carolina. Some of the right of way near the north end of this segment was provided by J.W. Dillon in exchange for the railroad building a depot in Dillon, his namesake town. [2]
The final segment to be built was the middle section from Rowland to Fayetteville which opened in 1892. The line was successful and would shorten the distance of the Atlantic Coast Line route by 61 miles. [1]
By 1899, the line, along with the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad and the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad were formally merged into the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. The Fayetteville Cutoff would remain part of the Atlantic Coast Line's main line. Through various mergers, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad became part of CSX Transportation by 1986. The line is still operating today and is part of CSX's A Line (South End Subdivision).
| State | Milepost [3] | City/Location | Station [4] [5] | Connections and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NC | A 138.9 | Contentnea | junction with Wilmington and Weldon Railroad (ACL) | |
| A 144.2 | Lucama | Lucama | ||
| A 151.2 | Kenly | Kenly | named for ACL president John R. Kenly | |
| A 156.3 | Micro | Micro | ||
| A 161.2 | Selma | Selma | Amtrak Carolinian, Palmetto original station replaced by Selma Union Depot in 1924 junction with the North Carolina Railroad (SOU) | |
| A 164.8 | Smithfield | Smithfield | ||
| A 171.5 | Four Oaks | Four Oaks | ||
| A 180.0 | Benson | Benson | ||
| A 186.0 | Dunn | Dunn | ||
| A 194.6 | Godwin | Godwin | ||
| A 198.5 | Wade | Wade | ||
| A 204.1 | Beard | |||
| A 209.7 | Fayetteville | Fayetteville | Amtrak Silver Meteor, Palmetto current station built in 1911 junction with:
| |
| A 216.1 | Hope Mills | Hope Mills | junction with Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad | |
| A 222.9 | Parkton | Parkton | ||
| A 227.7 | Rex | |||
| A 230.2 | Rennert | Rennert | ||
| A 236.5 | Buie | |||
| A 241.3 | Pembroke | Pembroke | junction with Carolina Central Railroad (SAL) | |
| A 246.3 | Elrod | junction with Southeastern Railroad (ACL) | ||
| A 252.8 | Rowland | Rowland | ||
| SC | A 257.1 | Hamer | ||
| A 262.2 | Dillon | Dillon | junction with North and South Carolina Railway (SAL) | |
| A 269.1 | Latta | Latta | ||
| A 273.4 | Sellers | Sellers | ||
| A 280.1 | Pee Dee | junction with Wilmington and Manchester Railroad (ACL) | ||
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad is a former U. S. Class I railroad from 1900 until 1967, when it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. Much of the original ACL network has been part of CSX Transportation since 1986.
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.
Most CSX railroad lines are given lettered prefixes before milepost numbers. These prefixes are one to three letters long with the first letter usually refer to the former company. For instance, prefixes beginning with "S" were part of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. Some of these company prefixes include the following:
The Wilmington and Weldon Railroad (W&W) name began use in 1855, having been originally chartered as the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad in 1834. At the time of its 1840 completion, 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 Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a US Class I railroad from 1900 until 1967. The following former and active train stations were previously used by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. Many of them are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Raleigh and Gaston Railroad was a Raleigh, North Carolina, based railroad opened in April 1840 between Raleigh and the town of Gaston, North Carolina, on the Roanoke River. It was North Carolina's second railroad. The length was 100 miles (160 km) and built with 4 ft 8 in gauge. Part of the Raleigh and Gaston's tracks remains in service today as part of CSX's S Line as the Norlina Subdivision of CSX's Florence Division.
The Cheraw and Salisburg Railroad was a shortline railroad that ran between Cheraw, South Carolina, and Wadesboro, North Carolina.
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 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 Conway Seashore Railroad was a South Carolina railroad that operated in the early 20th century. It ran from Conway, South Carolina southeast to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The Central Railroad of South Carolina was a South Carolina railroad that operated following Reconstruction. It ran between Lane, South Carolina to Sumter, South Carolina, a distance of about 40 mi (64 km). The line is still in service today and it is now CSX's Lane 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 North End Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in Virginia and North Carolina. The line runs from Richmond, Virginia, to Rocky Mount, North Carolina, for a total of 123.2 miles. At its north end the line continues south from the Richmond Terminal Subdivision and at its south end the line continues south as the South End Subdivision. The North End Subdivision is the northernmost segment of CSX's A Line which in its entirety runs from Richmond to Tampa, Florida. Some of the line's notable features include running in the median of Interstate 195 in Richmond as well as the line's tall arch bridge over the James River.
The Norlina Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. State of North Carolina. The line currently runs from Norlina, North Carolina to Raleigh, North Carolina for a total of 51.2 miles. At its north end the line comes to an end and at its south end the line continues north from the Aberdeen Subdivision. While the current line dates back to 1840, it has been known as the Norlina Subdivision since the 1970s. Under CSX predesessor, the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, the Norlina Subdivision continued north to Collier Yard near Petersburg, Virginia.
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. 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 W&W Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The line 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 Waycross Short Line was the unofficial name of a railroad line built by Henry B. Plant that ran from Waycross, Georgia to Jacksonville, Florida on the St. Johns River. The line through Georgia was chartered by Plant as the Waycross and Florida Railroad and the Florida segment was chartered as the East Florida Railway. The line crossed the Georgia/Florida border just south of Folkston, Georgia at the St. Marys River.
The Folkston Cutoff is a railroad line in southern Georgia. It runs from Jesup southwest to Folkston, a distance of 54 miles. It was built in 1901 by the Plant System to allow trains from the northeast to Florida to bypass their busy terminal in Waycross.
The Richmond, Petersburg and Carolina Railroad was a railroad built in the early 1900s. As its name suggests, it ran from Richmond, Virginia south through Petersburg into northern North Carolina. It was a key part of the network of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad.
The Southeastern Railroad was a railroad line in southern North Carolina that ran between Elrod and Chadbourn.