North Carolina Railroads and Railfanning In "The Tar Heel State"

North Carolina railroads offer 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. In any event, the article here also provides additional links to other pages here at the site which relate to either North Carolina's railroad history or present day operations. Be sure to check them out.

Norfolk Southern (original) GP18 #8 and a trio of other Geeps lead their freight through the yard in Charlotte, North Carolina on October 17, 1968.

North Carolina railroads date back to 1833 when the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad was charted to connect its namesake cities, which it completed on March 7th, 1840. By doing so the railroad became the longest railroad operated in the world at that time, spanning some 161 miles! By the turn of the century the W&W would become part of the ever-growing Atlantic Coast Line system. Following the W&W's opening, North Carolina quickly became an important traffic generating and terminating state as it not only grew much tobacco and cotton but also became heavily industrialized, particularly in textiles. In time the Tar Heel State would become home to four of the South's best-remembered railroads. These companies included:

Southern Railway

Atlantic Coast Line

Seaboard Air Line

Norfolk Southern (Original)

Norfolk & Western

Clinchfield Railroad

Seaboard Coast Line

Today, North Carolina railroads are mostly the realm of CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway 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, Winston-Salem Southbound Railway, Atlantic & Western railway, Carolina Coastal Railway, Carolina Southern Railroad, Laurinburg & Southern Railroad, Pee Dee River Railway, Wilmington Terminal Railroad, and the Chesapeake & Albemarle Railroad. To learn more about all of the state's currently operating railroads please click here to visit the site's North Carolina career page.

Seaboard Coast Line U33B #1736 lays over at the yard in Richmond, Virginia on an overcast March 9, 1969. Note behind the U-boat is Alco C430 demonstrator #430-2.

Having visited North Carolina on countless occasions throughout my life I must say that its railroading is very unique and interesting as it really does offer a little of everything from an operational standpoint. I have seen both the Laurinburg & Southern and Chesapeake & Ablemarble Railroads in operation and enjoyed every bit of it. I also was lucky enough to have a friend give me a quick tour of Raleigh's rail operations (which includes both NS and CSX) and was as fascinated by the scenes of history still present, as the trains themselves.

Today, North Carolina railroads operate over 3,000 miles of trackage, which is about 59% of its one-time total of more than 5,500 in the 1920s. With a loss of about 41% of its railroad infrastructure since then, North Carolina has fared better than the national average of 45%-50%. Additionally, in recent years the state has been proactive in preserving rail corridors for potential future use. For more information on North Carolina railroads in terms of route mileage over the years please take a look at the chart below.

Passenger and commuter rail in North Carolina are, to put it bluntly, a step above the rest of the country. The Tar Heel State is being proactive in recognizing the benefits of rail and has planned accordingly. Not only does the state own the North Carolina Railroad (NCRR), which owns a rail corridor running between Charlotte and Morehead City but also owns significant abandoned rights-of-way in the state that it deems important for possible future rail service. To learn more about Amtrak's current services in the state please visit their website

Today, the NCRR is leased to Norfolk Southern, which handles freight service over much of the route (between Charlotte and Raleigh) and oversees the ongoing upgrades being paid for by the State of North Carolina. The state also subsidizes its own passenger trains over the line. With the help of Amtrak, North Carolina operates the Charlotte-New York Carolinian and Raleigh-Charlotte Piedmont (in addition Amtrak also operates its own Crescent and Silver Service through the state).

The future of North Carolina's commuter railroad operations looks very bright. The state has paid for the restoration of numerous historic railroad depots along its route to be used for daily passenger service and is currently planning operational extensions as far east as Wilmington and as far west as Asheville. And, what's more, North Carolina plans to develop all of this trackage into a high-speed corridor.

North Carolina railroads also feature several museums and tourist railroads such as the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer which is home to the largest still-standing roundhouse at 37 stalls. Others include the Great Smoky Mountain Railway in Dillsboro and Bryson City that offers spectacular views of the Smokies.

All in all, North Carolina railroads offers some fantastic and unique operations, with spectacular scenery that only a Southern state could provide. If you are planning a trip you may want to focus on one specific area that interests you most, such as the mountains, Piedmont region or coastal plains as there is far too much to see unless you have lots of time to visit all three parts of the state.

Surviving North Carolina Train Stations

Also, for great reading about several now-abandoned New Carolina rail lines please click here. Lastly, for more information about North Carolina railroads in general please click here to visit my good friend Dan Robie's personal website about trains in the Tarheel State. The site is still a lengthy work in progress so please be patient as more material is added.

And on that note, here are few final recommendations you may want to visit; first, although it no longer sees trains NS's torturous Saluda Grade (the steepest main line railroad in America at 4.7%) is a marvel to see; second, CSX's main line to Wilmington features the longest stretch of straight, tangent track in the country at nearly 79 continuous miles; and lastly, both CSX and the Norfolk Southern Railway have winding loops to gain elevation in the western mountains at Old Fort (NS) and Spruce Pine (CSX). Whatever you decide, have fun as there is plenty to see in North Carolina!

Spring has nearly come to Virginia and as a local farmer plows his field near Orange a southbound Southern pig train rolls by led by a trio of Geeps and an FP7 on March 13, 1972.

Also, for more reading about North Carolina's railroad history you might want to pick up a copy of Railroads of North Carolina by author Alan Colemon from Arcadia Publishing's popular "Images of Rail" series which highlights numerous railroad subjects around the country with classic images of years long ago. All of Arcadia's books in this series are nearly 200 pages in length although they are also all in black and white with no color photos. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing the book please visit the link below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.