All; I have questions regarding the ACL Passenger facilities area in Wilmington in the 1940s-50s. There is a brick retaining wall capped with stone that upheld the old passenger yard and separated it from the tracks that ran under the passenger concourse and down to the lower yard by the river. To this day, you can see door & window openings in the wall for 'spaces' that are behind the wall, but under what was the passenger yard. Does anyone know what these spaces were used for and did they go further under the passenger yard? Also, an old photo I have shows an 'Ice Works plant' at Campbell and 2nd Street with a single icing platform and track. Was this part of the large Cold Storage building at the end of 2nd Street, or did the Cold Storage facility replace the Ice Works? If so, when did this happen? If you know Wilmington, you'll know that Campbell and 2nd dead-end at the lower tracks, almost behind the old building 'D' (which is where the 'openings' in the retaining wall are). Anyone done any 'caving' in those things? Thanks for ANY feedback! Mark Huband

-- Mark Huband (m.huband@att.net), September 15, 2003

Answers

Mr. Haband, I am somewhat familiar with that area. I do not recall the passenger yard being under anything. The trains backed into the station and when they took on passengers for the next scheduled trip they were in the proper direction for the trip north to Rocky Mount or South to Florence, South Carolina with conections to Augusta, Ga. The passenger station(when I knew it) was in the main floor of office building D. kiwalk

-- King David Walker (kiwalk6bobs@surrealnet.net), December 24, 2004.