Eastern Railroad Discussion > What can anyone tell me about Pembroke, NC?

I ended up in Pembroke, NC yesterday. For some reason I have never paid much attention to it and never even knew there was a diamond there. It's the CSX mainline and what appears to be a line going to Hamlet? I didn't get there until after 4:00 but I did get one nice train. It would seem to be a busy spot, anyone know? I'd love to go back as it's not that far from me. Thanks!

Jay

HI there..

questions on this location came up on TrainOrders back in 2006 - here's the link if you want to read more:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,1252042

My 1969 Official Guide shows both north/south and east/west lines as being Seaboard Coast Line. The north/south route seems to be the former ACL main line from Fayetteville NC to Florence SC whereas the east/west line ran from Wilmington to Hamlet NC and most likely ex-Seaboard Air Line.

Prior to ACL's takeover of the SAL in 1967, Pembroke was just a place where an SAL line to Wilmington and the ACL main line happened to cross. But after 1967, the question for SCL was how to use the large, relatively new ex-SAL yard at Hamlet. Southbound trains could come off the ex-ACL at Pembroke and run northwest over the ex-SAL to reach Hamlet. After the ex-SAL between Petersburg and Norlina was abandoned in the mid-1980s and trains no longer ran between Petersburg and Hamlet over the ex-SAL, the Pembroke connection became even more useful.

Note that northbound trains on the ex-ACL main line can reach Hamlet by taking the ex-SAL northwest from the connection at Dillon.

An irony is that all five ex-ACL lines into Wilmington -- headquarters of the ACL prior to 1960 -- are severed. The only CSX access into Wilmington is this ex-SAL line that runs through Pembroke. Because there is no connection in the northeast quadrant, however, trains cannot run directly between Wilmington and the ex-ACL north of Pembroke. One of the NCDOT studies for Raleigh-Wilmington passenger service has proposed installing a connection in the northeast quadrant. There has also been push for such a connection to improve freight access for the Port of Wilmington.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/14 10:28 by ctillnc.

Traffic today on the ex-ACL includes intermodal trains Q031, Q032, Q033, Q034, Q036, and Q176. Please note that none of the intermodals run daily. CSX only schedules 17 intermodals between Jacksonville and the North Jersey terminals a week, or an average of 2.4 a day.

Tropicana Juice/intermodal trains are Q140/Q141. The southbound Thursday departure from New Jersey is Q121.

Manifest trains include Q409/Q410 that run between Waycross, GA and Selkirk, NY.

Amtrak runs 6 trains a day: 52/53 Auto Train, 89/90 Palmetto, and 97/98 Silver Meteor.

Traffic today on the ex-SAL includes manifests Q477/Q478 that run between Hamlet and Wilmington. There is also a local that runs between Hamlet and Lumberton, I believe its symbol is F720. I'm not sure if they still run, but Q777/Q778 were weekly rock trains between Rockingham and Wilmington.

As previously noted, there is a connection track on the NW quadrant of the diamond between the SAL and ACL. Traffic along this connection include manifests Q400/Q401 (Hamlet, NC - Cumberland, MD pair), Q438/Q439 (Hamlet, NC - Selkirk, NY pair), and Q470/Q471 (Hamlet, NC - Rocky Mount, NC pair). Various grain and coal trains frequently use the connector track.

Andrew

Also there used to be coal traffic on the ex-SAL through Pembroke for Duke Energy plants at Wilmington and Lumberton. But no more; the Weatherspoon plant at Lumberton is gone entirely, and the Sutton plant at Wilmington has converted to natural gas.

This is all great info! Now I know I'll be going back. Many thanks for all the help, I really appreciate it! : )

Jay

Another unlikely fact regarding the SAL Hamlet-Wilmington line crossing at Pembroke is that it contains the longest continuous straight (tangent) track in the U.S., at 78.86 miles. Most would not pick a line located in the Southeast to possess such a distinction.

aussiehinz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Another unlikely fact regarding the SAL
> Hamlet-Wilmington line crossing at Pembroke is
> that it contains the longest continuous straight
> (tangent) track in the U.S., at 78.86 miles.

That in itself is very cool! I never knew that...