I grew up and still live in Kelford, NC (Bertie County), on the ACL Rocky Mount to Pinners Point line. Back in the late 1970's, another fellow and I purchased the ACL depot, and as required, moved it off railroad property. Just prior to the move, the "Kelford" nameboards were removed with no notice. I had planned to keep these as hometown treasures. This web forum is great for solving mysteries. My request: anyone knowing the whereabouts of these original "Kelford" boards, please contact me via email. I would like to have them returned, as they were removed without permission. Incidentally, an 18-wheel truck driven by a drunk has struck the depot, and I now plan to dismantle and salvage what I can. Thanks, David Humphrey

-- David L. Humphrey (supercub@coastalnet.com), December 14, 1999

Answers

Just a 2004 update to this dormant thread: the Kelford signs are still missing. If any of you have tried to contact me on a sighting, my email at coastalnet no longer works. However, I can be reached at P.O. Box 146, Kelford, NC 27847 and would be grateful for any information on the recovery of my signs. Thank you. David

-- DL Humphrey (dhumphrey@ncem.org), March 23, 2004.

Steve-You raise some valid points. However, I was not advocating that posters on this Q/A page make their responses so cryptic that a depot chaser could not determine the location of a structure or its history from the post. The type of information I was referring to concerned easily transportable items such as signs or equipment. You are right that the world is filled with bad people, some who are railfans. Unfortunately, I have had the displeasure of running into too many of these people-hence my "paranoia." I guess the bottom line is that if you do not want your signs etc. stolen, you either take them down or put up reproductions in place of the originals. The town of Ravenel, SC will take the latter course when we complete the restoration of our ACL depot.

-- Buddy Hill (palmettoLTD@hotmail.com), December 26, 1999.

Buddy, you do sound extremely paranoid. Unfortunately, there are individuals out there who steal, vandalize, and destroy such properties. More than likely, this will always be the case. However, for every ignorant person that engages in such behavior, there are countless railroad history fans who greatly appreciate the details provided through these forums. This information is priceless to those of us who are unfamiliar with the region and the background of the station. I am a depot-chaser myself and go on several trips per year to photograph and document stations. Without this type of information, most fans would miss out on many of these sparsely remaining structures. David, good luck with your project and thanks for the specifics.

-- Steve Heath (sheath@knownet.net), December 22, 1999.

The question posted above raises an important point to remember: PLEASE be careful of how much detail you provide when posting or answering questions! There are so called "railfans" out there that will gladly use the information on this website to "acquire" signs and other railroad items without the owners permission. I don't mean to sound paranoid, but indications are that this very situation may have occurred within the past year. Good luck on trying to find your signs.

Buddy

-- Buddy Hill (palmettoLTD@aol.com), December 14, 1999.

Larry, You probably have my email by now, but I will add a response here for anyone else, too. The warehouse/loading dock platform is the heavily damaged portion, and I see no repair for it. The waiting room side needs some roof repair now, and I hope to accomplish that soon, and use it for storage. Anyone is welcome to come by and take a look at this building and photograph it-- just be careful!!. It is on NC 308, right beside the Kelford water tank. FYI - I have been told there was an SAL station here years back , but it burned. The SAL ran from Boykins, VA to Lewiston, NC. The Camp Mfg. Co. had a log yard in Woodville, with a steam-powered loader. I think I have some photos somewhere of this......Thanks for Using Coast Line..David.

-- David L. Humphrey (supercub@coastalnet.com), December 14, 1999.

I unfortunately do not know where the signs are, but have a question concerning the depot. You mentioned it was struck by a truck and has to be dismantled. Does this mean the depot will be completely lost? That part of NC was one I hoped to photograph remaining stations during 2000. I try to keep an accurate list of NC depots for historical research.

-- Larry K. Neal, Jr. (lkneal@ncsl.dcr.state.nc.us), December 14, 1999.