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The South Carolina Central Railroad

The South Carolina Central Railroad, a RailAmerica property, is a small shortline operating out of Hartsville, South Carolina on original ACL and SAL trackage with a little over 40 miles of railroad. While it operates over two branches which are unconnected it does have connections with CSX along both lines. The South Carolina Central does not have an extensive customer base but does have a diverse traffic base, as it carries everything from paper to coal.

The South Carolina Central Railroad will celebrate 20 years this year as it was created in 1987 when CSX shed off these branch lines and it purchased the property from the Class I.

To give a brief history of the Atlantic Coast Line the railroad was synonymous with the South and served points from Richmond, Virginia to Florida and east to Birmingham, Alabama. The railroad was also very profitable being that it served direct north-south routes from Florida to Richmond. It also held one of the most unique paint schemes of any Class I of both its day, having a beautiful purple and silver livery with yellow trim. Remembered in the likes of the Southern Railway in later years the ACL was highly respected throughout most of its existence and like the Southern was blessed with excellent management and never faced any serious bankruptcy (and only entered receivership once during the Depression years of the early 1930s) threat up until its merger with the Seaboard Air Line in the late 1960s to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad.

Because of its extraordinary success it’s interesting to wonder what the future may have held for the Atlantic Coast Line had the railroad not merged. Alas, this was the railroad’s fate like so many others during the same period.

The South Carolina Central Railroad Roster

#8 - SW1200r: ex-Phelps Dodge #8, ex- Austin & Northwestern #8, ex-Missouri & Northern Arkansas #8

#75 - EMD GP10: ex-Illinois Central GP9 #9375; rebuilt to Illinois Central Gulf GP10 8375 August, 1974, ex- New Orleans Lower Coast Railroad #8375

#77 - EMD GP10: ex-Illinois Central GP9 #9377; rebuilt to Illinois Central Gulf GP10 8377 January, 1975, ex- New Orleans Lower Coast Railroad #8377

#2077 - EMD GP16: ex-ATSF #2728; rebuilt to #2027, November, 1981, ex-Georgia Southwestern #2027

#2053 - EMD GP7: ex-ATSF #2882; rebuilt to ATSF #2053, ex-Texas & New Mexico #2053

#2207 - EMD GP7: ex-ATSF #2664; rebuilt to ATSF #2207, ex–RailTex, ex - Pittsburgh Industrial

#6412 - EMD GP40-2: ex-DTI #412; ex-Grand Trunk Western

#6415 - EMD GP40-2: ex-DTI #415; ex-Grand Trunk Western

#8383 - EMD GP10: originally NYC #5728; ex-P&LE #1509, ex-Illinois Central Gulf #8383

Mergers, if planned and implemented correctly can save a railroad millions of dollars down the road and this was the very reason behind the ACL and Seaboard Air Line discussing the option seriously as early as the late 1950s.

While the two companies were fierce competitors, similar to the Pennsylvania Railroad and New York Central who would also merge during the same period, the difference between the two was that the ACL and SAL spent many years planning their new system in an effort to ensure the marriage would go smoothly.

For more reading on shortlines like the South Carolina Central Railroad consider the book American Shortline Railway Guide from author Ed Lewis. The book has gone through several updated editions to keep up with the ever-changing world of the shortline industry. Today, the publication highlights almost 600 shortlines across the country with general background information about each. If you have any interest in shortlines you will very likely enjoy this book. If you're interested in perhaps purchasing this book please visit the link below which will take you to ordering information through Amazon.com, the trusted online shopping network.

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