Eastern Railroad Discussion > Raleigh - Fayetteville, NC

Does NS still serve any industries south of Boylan...or is it a ll RJC?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/24 19:02 by mp208.

No clue to what you are asking but as a really old guy I clearly remember riding a train to Army boot camp from Philadelphia, PA to Fayetteville, NC in early 1967. A bit of the last "old school" Pullmann and pre Amtrak first class travel and glad to have experienced it despite the looming and omnipresent Viet Nam situation. What I also remember, other than an earlier G.I. breakfast in a dining car (with vibrating and shuddering trucks, under the diner, that were shaking coffee out of the cups), literally, was we, my buddy Piggy and I, were riding on a Pullmann near the end of the train and it was a long walk to board the US Army buses that would deliver us to Fort Bragg.
Any response on the original question will be interesting.
Thanks.
Go

I can't say for certain but am pretty sure R J Corman Co would service any customers between those two cities.
In Gonuts time (and mine) Raleigh was served by Seaboard and Fayetteville was served by Atlantic Coast Line.  Both, of course, are now CSX lines.  The original Norfolk Southern had a line connecting Raleigh with Fayetteville and this is what RJC operates today having been spun off by the current Norfolk Southern.
The old Norfolk Southern between Raleigh and Wilson NC belongs to Carolina Coastal and is mostly used for car storage.  The current issue (April) of Trains magazine has a feature article on Carolina Coastal (CLNA reporting marks) including a map showing their lines.  Raleigh is shown but Fayetteville (home of Ft Liberty - renamed from Ft Bragg) is not identified although it's where the black (NS) line meets CSX at the I-95 marker.  
jb

NS retained ownership of Raleigh to Fuquay-Varina. Corman has trackage rights over that segment. But there is virtually no freight business between Raleigh and F-V; all the shippers and receipients are south of F-V. 

Fort Liberty (former Fort Bragg) is large enough to be its own entity and not Fayettville, IIRC, even in the mid 1960s when I lived there. I wasn't really interested in trains at age 8 but recall a railroad at the edge of the camp next to a major highway. I'm told now that it was a short line. I remember playing with some other kids inside a large culvert under that railroad. It's a wonder I didn't get bit by a snake.

Victor Baird



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/23/24 13:16 by wabash2800.

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> Fort Liberty (former Fort Bragg) is large enough
> to be its own entity and not Fayettville, IIRC,
> even in the mid 1960s when I lived there. I wasn't
> really interested in trains at age 8 but recall a
> railroad at the edge of the camp next to a major
> highway. I'm told now that it was a short line. I
> remember playing with some other kids inside a
> large culvert under that railroad. It's a wonder I
> didn't get bit by a snake.
>
> Victor Baird

Fort Liberty covers over 250 sq miles and has over 57,000 active duty troops and nearly 20,000 civilian contractors/employees.  It is its own entity!  One of the largest military installations in the world. Stretches from Fayetteville on the east to Aberdeen and Southern Pines in the west.  It's massive.  Interesting side note, Ft Liberty FD Station 9 is first due mutual aid for Southern Pines Fire and responds mutual aid to Aberdeen and Pinehurst as well.  Always weird seeing fire trucks and rescue squads that say US ARMY on them. 

Rail line you are recalling was likely the Aberdeen and Rockfish branch that ran along Skibo Road and connected to the US Army's Cape Fear Railroad.  That line came off the A&R main along Cliffdale Road in a wye and ran up the edge of Skibo to what is now Bragg Blvd, then up Bragg Blvd into base.  All remnants along Bragg Blvd are gone, but a lot of the right of way and a fair amount of track remain all along Skibo.  

Cape Fear Railroad is still active today and interchanges with CSX.   CSX accesses CF via the Military Branch which is what RJ Cormans track ends on at the end of the street running section, directly under West Rowan Street overpass.  Branch serves Cape Fear Railcar, Motiva, and the Army.  Motiva (owned by the Saudi's) controls a significant portion of petroleum distribution on the east coast. They recently added rail to their Fayetteville pipeline terminal, shown here from last Saturday, about a mile south of the connect to CF and rail entrance into base. 
 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/23/24 14:06 by scraphauler.

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Thanks.I never saw any trains at Fort Bragg. But when we lived in Fort Devens, Mass., that's a different story. I also worked for the DOD in the mid 80s and was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. That was a very large installation too. I remember some vintage 1950s era freight cars on post.

Victor Baird



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/24 18:33 by wabash2800.