Kinston Branch

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Kinston Branch
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Logo, September 1947.svg
Overview
StatusSome segments are still operating
Owner Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Locale North Carolina
Technical
Line length85.9 mi (138.2 km)
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification No
Signalling None

The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad's Kinston Branch (A Branch) was a railroad line that at its greatest extent ran from company's main line in Pender, North Carolina south to Kinston, North Carolina. The line south of Parmele, North Carolina is still active today and is now the Parmele Subdivision of CSX Transportation, the Atlantic Coast Line's successor company through various mergers. [1]

Contents

Route description

The Kinston Branch began at a junction with the company's main line in Pender, North Carolina (just south of Halifax). From Pender, it ran southeast through Scotland Neck to Hobgood, where it crossed the company's Norfolk—Rocky Mount Line. Beyond Hobgood, it continued southeast to Oak City and then turned south to Parmele, where it crossed the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad's Plymouth Branch. Beyond Parmele, it continued south through Greenville to its terminus in Kinston.

The Kinston Branch also had a short branch to Washington, North Carolina. This branch, known as the Washington Branch split from the just south of Parmele and ran southeast to Washington.

History

The first segment of the line from Pender to Scotland Neck was chartered as the Halifax & Scotland Neck Railroad in 1872. By 1878, construction had yet to begin and it was then rechartered as the Scotland Neck Railroad. Construction began in 1879 and the line began service from Pender to Scotland Neck on October 1, 1882. In 1883, the Scotland Neck Railroad was acquired by the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad an it became their Scotland Neck Branch. [2] By 1890, the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad extended the Scotland Neck Branch south to Kinston. [3] The Wilmington and Weldon Railroad built the Washington Branch in 1892. [4]

By 1900, the entire Wilmington and Weldon Railroad network became part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. [4] The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad designated the line as their Kinston Branch.

By 1949, a local freight train was running the branch six days a week. [5]

In 1967, the Atlantic Coast Line merged with its rival, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL), with the merged company was named the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL). The company adopted the Seaboard Air Line's method of naming their lines as subdivisions and as a result, the branch was designated as the Kinston Subdivision. [6]

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 northern segment of the line from Pender to Parmele was abandoned in 1984. [7]

Current conditions

Today, the remaining segment of the branch south of Parmele is now CSX's Parmele Subdivision. The Parmele Subdivision now terminates just north of Kinston at a grain elevator in Elmer. [1]

Historic stations

Pender to Kinston
MilepostCity/LocationStation [5] Connections and notes
AA 91.7Penderjunction with Main Line
AA 99.5Tillery
AA 103.5Spring Hill
AA 109.9 Scotland Neck Scotland Neck
AA 116.7 Hobgood Hobgoodjunction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Norfolk—Rocky Mount Line
AA 123.7 Oak City Oak Cityoriginally Goose Nest
AA 128.2 Hassell Hassell
AA 134.8 Parmele Parmelejunction with:
AA 138.3Whitehurst
AA 144.0Staton
AA 146.3 House
AA 149.7 Greenville Greenvillejunction with Norfolk Southern Railway (SOU)
AA 155.2 Winterville Winterville
AA 159.2Ayden
AA 166.0Grifton
AA 171.9Graingers
AA 177.6 Kinston Kinstonjunction with Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad (NS)
Washington Branch
MilepostCity/LocationStationConnections and notes
AAB 134.8 Parmele Parmelejunction with Kinston Branch
AAB Stokes
AABWhichard
AABPactolus
AABWharton
AAB Washington W&V Junctionjunction with Washington and Vandemere Railroad (ACL)
AABWashington

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References

  1. 1 2 CSX Florence Division Timetable
  2. ↑ "North Carolina Railroads - Scotland Neck Railroad". Carolana. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  3. ↑ "Atlantic Coast Line Railroad" (PDF). LaBelle. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  4. 1 2 "North Carolina Railroads - Wilmington & Weldon Railroad". Carolana. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  5. 1 2 Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Northern Division Timetable (1949)
  6. ↑ Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Rocky Mount Division Timetable (1970)
  7. ↑ "Halifax and Scotland Neck Rail Road". Greenspun. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
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