Eastern Railroad Discussion > Aberdeen & Rockfish happenings

Around 9AM Tuesday 1/17/23. we find A&R CF7 2486 switching the transload facilities in Aberdeen NC while a hirail excavator and bulldozer work clearing the right of way along the west side of the wye that encircles the A&R's engine house.  Meanwhile, in said engine house, A&R's newest acquisition, GP38-3 5830 is well on it's way to wearing an new coat of blue and silver.  The 5830 is a 2007 graduate of the Juniata Shops that began it's life in 1980 as SOU 7033,  as a high nose GP50 

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That almost looks like new paint on 2486.  Is it?

Thank you for the photos and info!

Mike Derrick

ShortlinesUSA Wrote:
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> That almost looks like new paint on 2486.  Is
> it?
>
> Thank you for the photos and info!
>
> Mike Derrick

No, just nice and clean like all their power.  

Ahhh, I see what fooled my eye-- the nose logo has bleached out and is just plain white now.  It looked like the paint had all been redone and was waiting for logos to be added on my first look.
 

Nice to see work being done in Aberdeen. Is this just pull it out of the sand or upgrading for expected new business? 

Randy Allard

I lived in Raeford in the 1960s, and remember it well.  Larrinburg and Southern also dropped into town, maybe once a week, but not anymore.

Fireman424 Wrote:
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> Nice to see work being done in Aberdeen. Is this
> just pull it out of the sand or upgrading for
> expected new business? 
>
> Randy Allard

A little bit of both I think.  A&R does strong business in Fayetteville, some business in Raeford, and has a healthy transload business in Aberdeen, but has nothing between Raeford and Aberdeen.  That portion of the line often sees little more than light engine moves between shop in Aberdeen and business end in Fayetteville.  But  A&R has had crews working over past several months digging in new ties in this lightly used section of track that skirts the western boundary of Ft Bragg for nearly it's entire run, keeping it well into the FRA Class 1 10MPH standards.   City of Aberdeen/A&R was awarded a grant from the North Carolina Railroad Company to make 40 acres of the A&R owned 128 acre Iron Horse Industrial Park shovel ready.  This proposed industrial park sits along SR 211 near the Moore/Hoke county line between Aberdeen and Raeford.  Recently, Aberdeen Coca-Cola Bottlers purchased 50 of the non-shovel ready acres from A&R, but have not said why they bought it other than stating it had rail access.  Speaking of SR 211, NCDOT is commencing on massive rebuild of the 15.4 miles of highway between Raeford and Aberdeen - taking it from a rural heavily used 2 lane road to a modern divided 4 lane highway.  Much of this highway runs within sight of the A&R and crosses at grade twice.  Both grade crossing will be eliminated for overpasses and approximately mile of A&R track will be relocated to a new grade to allow for the new highway.  

I hadn't heard that about 211. Thanks. Meanwhile, LRS intends to hold onto its dormant Raeford line indefinitely? 

ctillnc Wrote:
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> I hadn't heard that about 211. Thanks. Meanwhile,
> LRS intends to hold onto its dormant Raeford line
> indefinitely? 

Apparently.  Sorta like NS plans to hold onto Brickhaven to Fuquay forever.  Both lines are now invisible in spots due to the shear volume of quick growing pine tress that have taken the lines over.  Would be a sizable forestry project just to clear the track before you did any track work!