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The Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad (reporting mark AR) is a short-line railroad operating in North Carolina, United States. At one time, the AR was a Class 2 railroad. The railroad has 47 miles (76 km) of track between Aberdeen and Fayetteville, North Carolina.
 Aberdeen and Rockfish EMD GP7 No. 205 in the company's yard | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Aberdeen, North Carolina |
| Reporting mark | AR |
| Locale | North Carolina |
| Dates of operation | 1892– |
| Technical | |
| Length | 47 miles (76 km) |
| Other | |
| Website | Official website |
History
editThe AR was incorporated in 1892 by businessman John Blue. He built the railroad to get his timber and turpentine products to market. On June 30, 1895, the first line was opened between Aberdeen and Endon. In 1898, the company added a line from Ashley Heights to Raeford which soon became the main line with the Endon line as a branch. Shortly thereafter, the Endon branch was extended to Juniper. The main line was extended to Dundarrach in 1900, Rockfish in 1902, Fenix in 1904, and a branch from Rockfish to Hope Mills was added in 1905. Aberdeen–Hope Mills became the main line for a while, with branches to Juniper and Fenix..
On November 14, 1909, another branch opened from Raeford to Wagram. In 1912, the company abandoned the Endon branch. It used the rails to construct an extension from Fenix to Fayetteville, which opened on December 23 that year. At the same time the line to Hope Mills was abandoned, as it became unnecessary with the new link to the main line of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in Fayetteville. Over the years, the railroad's traffic has shifted from lumber to agriculture products.[1] The Blue family still owns the AR and operates freight trains from Aberdeen to Fayetteville. The Wagram branch was sold to the Laurinburg and Southern Railroad in 1921.[citation needed] Passenger service ended in 1949.[2]
Traffic
edit- Chemicals
- Animal Feed
- Grain
- Animal By-Products
- Building Supplies
- Fertilizer Solution
Route
edit
- M.P. 00 Aberdeen, North Carolina - interchange with CSX (former SAL) and Aberdeen, Carolina and Western Railway (ACWR) and NS (former Southern Rwy, previously Norfolk & Southern RR).
- Spivey Hill Siding
- M.P. 05 Ashley Heights, North Carolina (abandoned AR branch (8 miles) used to run east to Endon and Juniper)
- McCain
- M.P. 10 Montrose
- M.P. 13 Timberland
- M.P. 19 Raeford, North Carolina - interchange with Laurinburg and Southern Railroad (LRS) that runs over former AR track to Edinburgh, Purcell and Wagram, North Carolina (12 miles).
- Upchurch Siding
- M.P. 24 Dundarrach, North Carolina
- M.P. 26 Arabia, North Carolina
- M.P. 30 Rockfish, North Carolina
- M.P. 31 Hope Mills Junction (abandoned AR branch that used to run east to Hope Mills, NC)
- M.P. 34 Fenix
- M.P. 36 Cliffdale - former junction with branch to Clifbragg (former Cape Fear Railways route)
- M.P. 40 Skibo - former junction with abandoned track of Cape Fear Railways (CF)(Route to Fort Bragg)
- M.P. 42 Owens
- M.P. 45 South Fayetteville, North Carolina CSX (former ACL) AND NS (former Norfolk & Southern RR)
- River Terminal (on Cape Fear River)
Fleet
editThe Aberdeen and Rockfish fleet, as of July 2011, consists of 6 locomotives, all originally built by EMD:[3]
| Number | Type | Built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 205 | EMD GP7 | 1951 | |
| 300 | EMD GP18 | 1963 | |
| 400, 405 | EMD GP38 | 1967-1968 | |
| 2486, 2594 | Santa Fe CF7 | 1949-1951 | Originally EMD F7s, almost completely rebuilt by AT&SF between 1972 and 1975. |
See also
edit
Notes
edit- ^ Wrinn, Jim; Lewis, Edward (1992). The Road of Personal Service: A Centennial History. Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad. ASIN B00133WB0A.
- ^ Lewis 1991, p. 9
- ^ "Aberdeen & Rockfish". thedieselshop.us. 11 July 2011. Archived from the original on 2004-07-26. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
References
edit- "Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad History". Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad. 2006. Archived from the original on 13 March 2006. Retrieved March 26, 2006.
- Drury, George H. (1984). The Train-Watcher's Guide to North American Railroads. Waukesha, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing. p. 6. ISBN 0-89024-061-2.
- Lewis, Edward A. (1991). American Shortline Railway Guide (4th ed.). Waukesha, WI: Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 0-89024-109-0. OCLC 25150373.
- Walker, Mike (2004). SPV's Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America: Appalachia and Piedmont. Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom: SPV Publishing. ISBN 1-874745-07-2.
Further reading
edit- Schafer, Mike (1976). Railroads you can model. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 0-89024-526-6.
External links
edit