SAL passenger depot, Youngsville, NC

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Greetings,

Does anyone know where I could find photos or drawings of the SAL passenger depot in Youngsville, NC. The only thing I found was one poor photo in a photocopy of a 1890's newspaper. I have no idea when it was built or if it was the only depot to serve that community.

I'm not a railroad enthusiast but will be building a home next to the rail line in that town and would like to incorporate some of the features of the old terminal if possible.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you, Woody Vondracek

-- Woody Vondracek (woody@nando.com), April 11, 2001

Answers

I shot a roll of film from the cab of #82 on my [and the train's next to] last northbound trip over the Norlina Sub on October 25, 1986, including a shot of Youngsville. I haven't looked at them for a while, but I'll be glad to share what I have. Of course, at 79 MPH, it's not like setting up a tripod and clicking away. (By the way, I ran out of film at Alberta.) When I made the last trip southbound the following night. October 26, the only shots I got [in the dark and drizzle] were during our station stops at Henderson and Raleigh. I wore pin stripes and a white SAL Lee hat for the benefit of the newspapers and television stations at Raleigh. The following morning, October 27, we stopped at Cabarrus Street Station (former SOU) and went to Selma.

-- Doug Riddell (railroaddoug@erols.com), April 12, 2001.

The only photos I know of are in Bill Griffin's book "All Lines North of Raleigh". You might try the local library (if its still there). But as stations go it wasn't a pretty one, single story, freight on the north end (three doors if memory serves). The agent was in the southeastern corner with the waiting rooms and passenger entrance doors (segregation) on the west. Themail crane was on the east side of the tracks. At one time there was a water tank and a small stock pen with loading ramps. This was back when mules were big business as in the twenties my grandfather was a "mule trader". I used to get my Official Guides from the agent. He received his copy after the Wake Forest agent used it for a month or a cycle however long that would be. If you do locate any other photos I'd like to pay for a copy if possible as I spent many, many hours as a young lad waiting for train 82 to switch the siding and mail train three to blast through at about 60mph. John

-- John Edwards (anjedwards@enter.net), April 12, 2001.

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