I am seeking information on SCL's S line. I lived near the line in Southern Pines in the 1970's. How many trains per day used the line then? Also, any information on its last days as a mainline would be appreciated.

-- Jeff Merritt (jmerritt@scsalert.com), March 03, 1998

Answers

NS also has said they would like to add some high speed roadrailers to connect to the RF&P to go to the NEC(with the merger with CR complete)

If NS added roadrailers, and CSXT there pigs, along with the NC DOT plan for high speed rail, this could make for a very interesting route!

And just for general knowledge, on my last trip to Norfolk, Va(im in Winston Salem, NC)i made a stop in La Crosse, Va so i could take a look at the old ROW. Well, seeing it not that bad of shape and having a pickup, i desided to ride down the line. I made it well over 4 miles up the ROW northbound....fiber optic cable owners have placed cable "fences", but those were easiler gotten around. I moved another few hundered feet before the brush got so thick i was afraid to majorly stratch my truck or hit a downed tree. Just north of La Crosse, the dispatcher wayside radio station is still there, antenna and all..:-) South of La Crosse, i rolled down the segment that was at one time including a passing track. Seems like the locals use it alot, so navigating down that part was easy. Made it a ways before turning back and heading on to Norfolk. All the signal bases and pole line is still there....but just a dirt road remains...

-- Zak Agresto (nszak@ix.netcom.com), September 22, 1998.

History, as they say, repeats itself. Don't forget the planning going on for the Piedmont High Speed Corridor (PHSC) whereby the S-Line may be rebuilt between Petersburg and Norlina, with upgrades to Norlina to Raleigh. Speeds for passenger trains could be up to 110 mph. By shifting some passenger service to S from A Line, there would be more freight capacity on the A Line. In addition, CSX may operate some intermodal freight trains on the rebuilt S Line as well. (See www.bytrain.org [high speed corridor] for more info.)

-- Dan Smith (dsmith9@gte.net), July 18, 1998.

Adding to Doug's answer, today's operations base two switchers out of Apex. One is the job that runs to Durham on the old Durham & Southern. The other is the Moncure job that runs south to Moncure NC and switches the industrial area there (Allied Fibers, Georgia Pacific, others). The Durham job usually runs two locos to Durham, taking cars from Apex set out by the Hamlet-Raleigh local then returns to Apex, setting the cars out on the pass track just north of Apex.

The Moncure job runs one loco light to Moncure and works cars set out at Merry Oaks by the Hamlet-Raleigh local, then leaves its cars there and returns light to Apex.

Finally, truth be told the Hamlet-Raleigh local is actually a turn that originates in Raleigh around 8:00 pm, goes to Hamlet and returns to Raleigh before sunrise. The southbound Silver Star usually passes the local at Moncure or Sanford I believe; don't know about the sorthbound Star.

-- Craig Zeni (clzeni@mindspring.com), March 15, 1998.

When I hired out in 1977, there were 4 southbound and 4 northbound through freights, a north and south local, numerous road switchers at Apex and Sanford, the Star and the Champion (yes, the Champion ran on the S-Line before it was finally cut off). After 1980 or so, everything except 289/214 ran on the A-Line. I was running the Star when they single tracked most of the Raleigh-Hamlet section in 1986/87. Only a local out of Hamlet to Raleigh, and a switcher at Apex remain today.

-- Doug Riddell (railroaddoug@erols.com), March 09, 1998.