The Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad, Family Owned And Operated Since 1892The Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad dates back to 1892 when a local businessman of North Carolina, John Blue, decided to begin construction of a railroad in the south-central region of the state to tap the lucrative timber located there. The railroad became quite successful and eventually grew into a system stretching over 45 miles connecting Aberdeen with Fayetteville to the east-southeast (it also connected to its other namesake city, Rockfish, along the way). While the A&R has diversified its traffic base over the years (today this includes chemicals, animal feed, grain, animal by-products, building supplies, and fertilizer) it has remained privately owned and operated by the Blue Family for over 115 years and things look to remain that way throughout the foreseeable future. North Carolina railroading offers a wide variety of operations, found in few other Southeastern states; from coastal and mountainous operations to high-speed main line freight and passenger trains, including plenty of local shortline services. And, as Southern states typically go, North Carolina offers spectacular scenery as a backdrop to railroading operations, whether you are along the coast, in flatlands of the piedmont or high in the Smoky Mountains. The Tar Heel State also has a rich railroading heritage dating back to the early 1830s and during its peak was home to no fewer than four eastern Class I railroads with the highly profitable and respected Atlantic Coast Line headquartered in its coastal and port city of Wilmington until 1960.
Today, North Carolina railroading is mostly the realm of CSX and Norfolk Southern with NS’s ex-Southern main line running through Charlotte and Greensboro (along with numerous other secondary lines) and CSX’s ex-Clinchfield in the mountains and SAL and ACL main lines near the coast. The rest of the Tar Heel State’s rails are operated by numerous shortlines and include the historic Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad, Adrian & Blissfield Rail Road, Atlantic & Western railway, Carolina Coastal Railway, Carolina Southern Railroad, Laurinburg & Southern Railroad, Pee Dee River Railway, Wilmington Terminal Railroad, and the Chesapeake & Albemarle Railroad. Currently the Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad diesel roster features four units, all EMD, and three of which were purchased new by the railroad. It should also be noted that the A&R takes exceptional care of and pride in their locomotives, they always look shiny new!: · EMD GP7 #205: Purchased new from EMD in September, 1951. · EMD GP18 #300: Picked up new from an F3A trade-in in August, 1963. · EMD GP38 #400: Purchased new in June, 1968. · EMD GP38 #405: Purchased second-hand from the Northern Illinois & Wisconsin Railway (NIWX). So, if you're a railfan and get the chance, be sure and stop by to see the Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad, their locomotives feature a handsome livery of blue and gray with yellow trim. For much more information about the Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad, including a very indepth history of the railroad please click here to visit their website. 
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