Raleigh and Gaston Railroad

Last updated
Raleigh and Gaston Railroad
Raleigh and Gaston Railroad
Raleigh to Weldon route (click to enlarge)
Overview
Locale North Carolina
Successor Seaboard Air Line Railroad
Seaboard Coast Line Railroad
CSX Transportation
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Previous gauge 4 ft 8 in (1,422 mm)

The Raleigh and Gaston Railroad was a Raleigh, North Carolina, based railroad opened in April 1840 [1] between Raleigh and the town of Gaston, North Carolina, on the Roanoke River. It was North Carolina's second railroad (the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad opened one month earlier). The length was 100 miles (160 km) and built with 4 ft 8 in (1,422 mm) gauge. [2] 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.

Contents

History

Cornerstone of the Raleigh and Gaston railroad building of Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh And Gaston Building Cornerstone-20080912.jpeg
Cornerstone of the Raleigh and Gaston railroad building of Raleigh, North Carolina

Construction on the line began in 1836. At the north end, the line initially crossed the Roanoke River near Roanoke Rapids on a 1,040-foot long bridge to connect the line to Gaston. In Gaston, it connected with the Greensville and Roanoke Railroad (which was operated by the Petersburg Railroad). In 1852, the line was extended from Roanoke Rapids east to Weldon. [3]

The Raleigh and Gaston Railroad served the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Its track provided a link in a route that provided the most direct route from Richmond, Virginia and Raleigh at the time. During the fall of Richmond, the original bridge over the Roanoke River at Gaston was destroyed and was never rebuilt. [3] After the war, the line was reconnected to the north side of the river when the Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad rebuilt their bridge over the Roanoke River at Weldon. [4]

The railroad built the Franklinton Depot in 1886. [5] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. [6]

The Raleigh and Gaston Railroad merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) in 1900. At the same time, SAL finished a line running from Norlina north to Richmond, Virginia (which was chartered by the Richmond, Petersburg and Carolina Railroad). [7] This line, along with the former Raleigh and Gaston Railroad from Norlina south became the SAL's main line. The line from Norlina to Weldon became part of SAL's Portsmouth Subdivision. [8]

In 1967, the SAL merged with its rival, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL). The merged company was named the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL). After the merger, the ex-SAL main line became known as the S Line in the combined network. Track from Norlina to Weldon was then known as the Roanoke Rapid Subdivision, which has since been abandoned.

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 abandoned the S Line (the designation for the former Seaboard Air Line main line) north of Norlina into Virginia in 1985. [9]

Current Conditions

Today, much of the Raleigh and Gaston Railroad remains in service. Track from Raleigh to Norlina is now CSX's Norlina Subdivision. Track from Norlina to Roanoke Rapids was abandoned in 1983, but the short segment from Weldon to Roanoke Rapids is still in service as CSX's Roanoke Rapids Spur (which connects to CSX's A Line). [4] [10]

Historic stations

Raleigh and Gaston / Seaboard Coast Line Building, which was once home to the Raleigh and Gaston Railroad. Raleigh-and-Gaston-Seaboard-Coast-Line-Building-20080321.jpeg
Raleigh and Gaston / Seaboard Coast Line Building, which was once home to the Raleigh and Gaston Railroad.
Raleigh and Gaston Railroad's Franklinton Depot FranklintonDepot.JPG
Raleigh and Gaston Railroad's Franklinton Depot
Milepost [8] City/LocationStation [11] [3] Connections and notes
SA 78.8 Weldon Weldonlocated on branch track built in 1853
junction with:
SA 82.7 Roanoke Rapids Roanoke Junction
Gaston Gastonlocated on original route that was severed during the American Civil War
SA 84.9Bolling
SA 91.2Thelma
SA 92.7Summit
SA 98.3 Littleton Littleton
SA 104.0 Vaughan Vaughan
SA 109.0 Macon Macon
SA 113.3Warren Plains
SA 115.3
S 98.4 [lower-alpha 1]
Norlina Norlinaoriginally Ridgeway Junction
junction with Richmond, Petersburg and Carolina Railroad (SAL)
S 100.6 Ridgeway Ridgeway
S 103.4 Manson Manson
S 106.5 Middleburg Middleburg
Brookston
S 109.8Greystone
S 113.8 Henderson Hendersonjunction with:
S 118.3Gill
Staunton
S 121.8 Kittrell Kittrell
S 130.3 Franklinton Franklinton junction with Louisburg Railroad
S 136.5 Youngsville Youngsville
S 140.5 Wake Forest Wake Forest
S 141.5 Forestville
S 143.7Wyatt
S 147.1 Neuse Neuse
S 150.8 Raleigh Millbrook
S 154.8Edgeton
S 156.1 Raleigh junction with:

Notes

  1. Milepost numbers from Weldon to Norlina continue from the Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad. Mileposts from Norlina to Raleigh continue from the Richmond, Petersburg and Carolina Railroad.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seaboard Air Line Railroad</span> Defunct American railroad

The Seaboard Air Line Railroad, which styled itself as "The Route of Courteous Service", was an American railroad that existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. Predecessor railroads dated from the 1830s and reorganized extensively to rebuild after the American Civil War. The company was headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, until 1958, when its main offices were relocated to Richmond, Virginia. The Seaboard Air Line Railway Building in Norfolk's historic Freemason District still stands and has been converted into apartments.

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 Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad was organized in 1833 to extend from the area of the rapids of the Roanoke River at its fall line near Weldon, North Carolina to Portsmouth, Virginia, across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk on the harbor of Hampton Roads.

The Petersburg Railroad ran from Petersburg, Virginia, south to Garysburg, North Carolina, from which it ran to Weldon via trackage rights over the Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raleigh Union Station</span> American intermodal transit station

Raleigh Union Station is an intermodal transit station in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Train service began the morning of July 10, 2018. Its main building serves as an Amtrak train station, while a future adjacent building will serve as the bus terminus for GoTriangle. The station is located at the Boylan Wye, a railroad junction used by CSX and Norfolk Southern, and adjacent to the Depot Historic District in downtown Raleigh.

Cochran is an unincorporated community located in Brunswick County, in the U.S. state of Virginia.

Grandy is an unincorporated community located in Brunswick County, in the U.S. state of Virginia.

The Raleigh and Augusta Air Line Railroad was a North Carolina railroad that operated in the second half of the 19th century.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charleston Subdivision</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North End Subdivision</span>

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's predecessor, the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, the Norlina Subdivision continued north to Collier Yard near Petersburg, Virginia.

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 Bellwood Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in Virginia, United States. The line runs along CSX's S Line from Richmond, Virginia, to Bellwood, Virginia, for a total of 14.4 miles (23.2 km). At its north end the line continues south from the Richmond Terminal Subdivision and at its south end the line continues south as the North End Subdivision.

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 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Main Line (Atlantic Coast Line Railroad)</span> Historic railroad in the Southeast

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 Roanoke and Tar River Railroad was a railroad running from Boykins, Virginia south to Lewiston, North Carolina, a distance of 36 miles.

References

  1. The Raleigh and Gaston Railroad
  2. Confederate Railroads - Raleigh & Gaston
  3. 1 2 3 "North Carolina Railroads - Raleigh & Gaston Railroad". www.carolana.com. Retrieved 2018-04-26.
  4. 1 2 "The First Railroad Hub of the South - Weldon NC". Get Hooked on Weldon. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  5. T .H. Pearce and Michael T. Southern (October 1990). "Franklinton Depot" (pdf). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved 2014-11-01.
  6. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  7. "Richmond, Petersburg & Carolina Railroad". Virginia Places. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  8. 1 2 Seaboard Air Line Railroad Virginia Division Timetable (1955)
  9. "The Norlina Subdivision". Rails in Virginia. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  10. CSX Florence Division Timetable
  11. "North Carolina Railroads: Passenger Stations & Stops" (PDF). Jim Fergusson's Railway and Tramway Station Lists (North Carolina). Retrieved 4 November 2020.