Bertie County, NC celebrated its 250th anniversary back in 1972 with each town having its own celebration day. The small town of Kelford, on the then-intact ACL Rocky Mount to Pinners Point line, celebrated by bringing a special passenger train to town on October 6. It was powered by an ACL F or E unit, as I recall, and was operated by Amtrak. The power had to turn in Ahoskie, I think and the run to Rocky Mount was at relatively slow speed. The line had not been used for passenger service in some years, but freights still passed over it.This was a BIG event for Kelford, and securing this special train against resistance took much effort; the Nixon White House staff finally became involved to assure the town that the train would indeed run. A second afternoon section of the train was cancelled on ride day, but extra cars were surprising sent with the train arriving; however, tickets had been cancelled by then. I rode the train and have an 8 MM movie of this event, and some commerative buttons of Kelford Day. It was the last passenger train to ever run from Kelford to Rocky Mount; about four years ago, the NCDOT and NC-VA RR did run a special from Conway, NC to Kelford and back, but this was on old SAL trackage. My question: Does anyone else recall this event, have some photos to share, or anything to mention about it? I would like to have some still photos. Thanks, David.

-- David L. Humphrey (supercub@coastalnet.com), July 01, 2000

Answers

try talking to Billy Mizelle at Perdue, Cofield. His father (grandfather?) was a bridge tender at the roanoke river. Billy work 252/358.8237 hm 252/356.2021 Billy has some RR interests. 8mm film?? IS transferring to VHS possible?

sounds like Kelford had political influence or was it the people from Norfleet that swung the deal :).

-- Tom Stallings (tlstalli@libertybay.com), July 05, 2000.