Can anyone tell me when service from Parmale to Washington was terminated, when the line was ripped up, and the route of the right of way. Also, did the branch continue over the pamlico River to Chocowinity (there are old bridge pilings south of the station in downtown Washington).??

-- Pete Wenk (petewenk@nccoast.com), October 25, 1999

Answers

When I went into engine service in 1979 we had a nighttime local out of Greenville called the Greenville-Lee Creek Switcher. SCL and NS shared traffic out of Aurora 50/50, swapping every six months.We used to back down south of the NS crossing with our train, then headed east over the NS to Chocowinity and accessed the former W&V right of way (which had been leased to NS) just north of there for the remainder of the trip to Aurora. After switching all night, we returned to Greenville. I was talking with a CSX engineer recently who told me that they (CSX) now have an switcher in place at Aurora that does all the work (and apparently hands it over to NS to be shipped out) rather than the old arrangement.

-- Doug Riddell (railroaddoug@erols.com), October 26, 1999.

I have seen CSX run throughs on the Lee Creek line.. they must come through Greenville.

-- Pete Wenk (petewenk@coastalnet.com), October 26, 1999.

The Parmele-Washington branch of the ACL was not abandoned until 1983, I believe. (According to the Official Guides) The route was Parmele, Stokes, Whichard, Pactolus and into Washington. The Washington and Vandemere was a subsidiary of the ACL, operating a mixed passenger train until 1949. This was interesting because the ACL did not run a passenger train between Parmeme and Washington in 1949! That service was terminated before 1945. I also belive CSX and NS share operation of the Lee Creek phosphate service.

-- Larry k. Neal, Jr. (lkneal@ncsl.dcr.state.nc.us), October 26, 1999.

The line south of "Little Washington" as the natives call it, was the Washington & Vandermere, probably a subsidiary of the ACL. It's Pamlico River trestle was west of the U.S. 17 highway bridge. The W&V crossed the original NS Rwy at NS Mile Post 127.9 (just south of the U.S. 17 overpass). The W&V was gone before 1954, but when NS Rwy. built the Lee Creek Branch (circa 1964), NS utilized the original W&V right of way for approximately 23 miles between Chocowinity Creek and Aurora.

-- Harry Bundy (y6b@aol.com), October 26, 1999.