Eastern Railroad Discussion > CSX Hamlet, NC

I was able to visit the area for a couple of hours last week...so, I have a few questions.

What trains run South to Hamlet from Raleigh...can't be much since the line is cut at Norlina, NC...correct?

Did CSX put a wye in at Pembroke, NC to bring trains in off the "A Line?" If so, how many trains a day (more or less) come in from that direction?

How many trains a day come from towards Monroe, NC? Are these just locals and hauler type trains, ie...not unit trains, auto trains, etc, etc?

As it is laid out...isn't Hamlet kind of out of the way now? Does CSX have to go out of its way to use this facility?

How many and what types of trains head South toward Columbia, SC?

Thanks for all your kind and patient responses.

Nice timing I to have questions on Hamlet. I have a locomotive stuck there. At least I think it's stuck that's the last event on trace. It's been there since 7-4. I was wondering what is there? Is there a shop? I have not received any notice of problems that would have bad ordered it. I do know once in a while our locomotives get "kicked" for not having the limit blocks installed. All of out switchers have geep draft gear with limited couplers install so we don't need the blocks but train crews kick them anyways.
Thanks in advance for any help.

On the north end toward Raleigh, traffic consists of a 7-day a week pair of locals to/from Raleigh-Hamlet. F741 and F742, they leave their respective starting points in the morning and terminate in the evenings. There are several rock trains per week to Lemon Springs, near Sanford, and one to Greystone, up near Norlina. In addition, the ACWR grain trains run up to Aberdeen, before turning left on the ACWR.

No wye as such at Pembroke. There is a NW corner connector off the "A" line so traffic can get to Hamlet. CSX uses the line from Dillon to Hamlet for NB traffic to Hamlet/SB Traffic to points South.

Scapegoat...yes, there is large shop operation there. What's the road name on your locomotive?

Thanks, Daveb...I guess there are not many trains that head South from Hamlet. The line toward Dillon looks like it ought to be 40MPH track...my guess. Of course, I think AMTRAK goes that way...so it must be more, but, it doesn't look like mainline railroad.

The last ETT I've seen was from 2005. At the time (speeds are typical but don't apply everywhere):
- the Norlina Sub into Raleigh (S mileposts) was 35-40 mph
- the Aberdeen Sub and Hamlet Sub, Raleigh-Hamlet-Columbia (S mileposts) were 60 mph passenger, 40 mph freight
- the Andrews Sub (SH mileposts) south from Hamlet to Dillon (A-line connection to/from points south of Dillon) was 40-50 mph
- the Monroe Sub towards Charlotte and Atlanta (SF mileposts) was 40-60 mph
- the Wilmington Sub (SE mileposts) east to Pembroke (A-line connection to/from points north of Pembroke) was 49 mph

To be picky, the SH line joins the SE line just east of downtown Hamlet.

Hamlet Yard was kept because it's big. Acca is crowded already, and Collier Yard and Rocky Mount Yard aren't big enough to replace Hamlet.

Thanks for all the information. I guess because I am from the NC area and it is not UP which I see every day here in Roseville, CA...this stuff is very interesting to me.

Help me better understand the subs. Here's what I think I do understand. My reference point is the "crossovers" now located in front of (kind of) the re-located depot building.

The line running directly in front of the depot...a North - South line...actually comes out of the yard...runs by the station...and goes to Columbia. This is an old SAL line and would be the Hamlet sub south of the depot and the Aberdeen sub north of the depot and/or yard...don't know where the two actually begin and end.

Then...standing at the crossovers...looking railroad North...back into the yard...the line to the right...is the Wilmington sub...which used to be followed by the SAL back to Wilmington NC...along that long section of tangent track. It crosses over the old ACL at Pembroke, NC. As I understand it, now, trains coming along the old ACL mainline...the CSX "A" line... may now diverge from that main line (essentially) making a right turn and head the 30 miles West into the Hamlet Yard...just as SAL trains did for years.

Standing at the crossovers...looking railroad North...back into the yard...the line to the left...is the Monroe Sub...and I did see a train come in off that sub into the yard. That's pretty straight forward.

Where's the "Andrews sub" and how do you get to it from the yard...? Does it diverge from the Wilmington sub...?

Hope some of this makes sense and you guys are willing to help out. All I can do is thank you...until you are better paid.

The Andrews Sub starts at East Junction, which is just a bit east of the crossing. The Andrews Sub heads southeast to Dillon, SC and then Andrews, SC. Andrews Sub sees several trains a day, Q484/485 to and from Andrews, the Pennyroyal coal trains and empties, plus the trains that head to Dillon and then take the A-Line south (Q491/492 Hamlet-Waycross, Q493/494 Hamlet-Charleston). Amtrak does not use the Andrews Sub (although it has when there’s been a derailment on the A-Line between Dillon and Selma, NC).

The Wilmington Sub sees Q477/478 Hamlet-Wilmington, plus several coal trains and empty hopper trains. You also have several trains that head to Pembroke and turn north on the A-Line: Q400/401 Hamlet-Cumberland, MD; Q438/439 Hamlet-Selkirk, NY; Q470/471 Hamlet- Rocky Mount.

The Monroe Sub heads west out of Hamlet, and in Monroe the line to Charlotte and Bostic, NC (and the connection to the old Clinchfield) splits off. You’ll see numerous coal trains and empty hopper trains coming off the line from Bostic, along with Q696/697 Hamlet-Russell, KY. There is also a lot of trains coming up from the Atlanta area on the Monroe Sub: Q614 New Orleans-Hamlet; Q616 Atlanta-Hamlet; Q618/619 Hamlet-New Orleans; Q667 Hamlet-Atlanta; Q669 Hamlet-Birmingham; Q675/676 Hamlet-Nashville.

The Hamlet Sub heading south to Columbia sees only a pair of freights- Q463/464 Hamlet-Cayce, plus coal trains and hopper trains and a couple of locals and Amtrak.

Then you have various locals working all the lines out of Hamlet. It can be a busy place at times. Other than coal trains and hopper trains and grain trains, you don’t see any unit trains through Hamlet (no auto racks, no intermodals).

As mentioned before, the Aberdeen Sub heading north sees some locals (F741/742 to and from Raleigh and I think there may be another set that works to Sanford, although that might have changed), the grain trains to and from the ACW in Abderdeen, and Amtrak.

If you were visiting last week, traffic would have been off due to some track work on the old Clinchfield and on the old SAL around the Charlotte area heading west. The yard is out of the way, but it would be expensive to relocate (for years there has been talk about moving it east to the Pembroke area, but costs and local opposition have kept that from happening). Plus, if the high speed Southeastern Corridor happens as planned, the line north to Raleigh will no longer be a stub end branch- it will be rebuilt from Norlina, NC to Petersburg, VA and some trains could be routed off the A-Line onto this line. We’ll see if this happens or not.

Hope this was helpful.

Thanks for all the kind and very helpful responses. I guess I never realized there was an "Andrews sub" and, apparently, that's how trains head South to the "A" line out of Hamlet.

Thanks again...anything else about this subject is appreciated.

Did CSX have to build a connector to the A line at Dillon? I assume this was another SAL cross over ACL in the past.

Thanks for any kind response.

Dillon is an at-grade crossing. Whether there was an ACL/SAL connection there pre-1967 or SCL installed one after the takeover, I don't know.

Where did an ex-SAL line bridge over an ex-ACL line or vice versa? There were several such bridges in the Centralia-Petersburg, Virginia area. Can't think of any in Alabama or Georgia. The ACL bridged over the SAL at Weldon, NC; there may have been a bridge in Wadesboro, NC for the WSSB to cross over the SAL. Somebody else would have to comment on South Carolina and Florida.

Thanks for your help. If I would ever look at a map closely enough...I could have seen the "Andrews Sub" diverging from the Wilmington Sub.

So...excuse my dumbitude...but, are you saying a train that leaves the yard in Hamlet...cannot join the "A" Line at Dillon? I was trying to see if that was a legitimate way to go South from Hamlet.

It appears...they can go down the Andrews Sub...but not join the main line South.

Thanks.

Sure it can; Amtrak did this not long ago. The question was whether there was a connection at Dillion prior to the 1967 merger of SAL and ACL. I don't know.

Okay...I got it...I actually "confused" myself.

You've been a big help...thanks, until you are better paid.