- Carolina Southern Railroad
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Carolina Southern Railroad 
Reporting mark CALA Locale Florence, South Carolina to Wilmington, North Carolina Dates of operation 1995– Track gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge) Headquarters Conway, South Carolina Carolina Southern Railroad (reporting mark CALA) operates between Mullins, South Carolina and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina via Whiteville, North Carolina, with a branch extending into Chadbourn, North Carolina.
Contents
History
The company in 1995 began operating two former CSX Transportation branch lines. One was a portion of the now abandoned ACL line between Florence, South Carolina and Wilmington, North Carolina, and the other was operated by the Waccamaw Coast Line from Conway, South Carolina to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Commodities carried by the railroad are coal, wood products, stone, grain, agricultural chemical, and processed food. Accessible to the line are industrial parks in Whiteville, North Carolina as well as Marion, South Carolina. The railroad connects with CSX Transportation at Mullins.
Conway to Myrtle Beach
In 1985, Horry County, South Carolina purchased the CSX line from Conway to Myrtle Beach. In 1996, the county decided to sell, and Carolina Southern, which began leasing the railroad line from the county in 1995, was the only bidder. The county turned down Carolina Southern's three bids, and by 1998, the city of Myrtle Beach showed interest.[1][2]
In 1987, the South Carolina Department of Transportation declared the section east of the Pine Island Bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway to be unsafe. The state spent $4.2 million to restore the 50-year-old bridge, which reopened in summer 1997. The first train crossed the bridge June 22, 2001, but Carolina Southern, still leasing from the county, had to spend $900,000 to bring the section east of the waterway up to the standards needed for regular service.[3][4][5]
On August 30, 2011, the railroad shut down due to the need for upgrades, including bridge work. The county later applied for a federal grant, with plans to spend $7.5 million on the county's rail line.[6]
Equipment roster
No. Builder Model Horsepower History/notes 48 GM F7A 1500 Originally built as the Texas & New Orleans #379 7/52, traded to GE, to Wellsville, Addison & Galeton #2400 in 1969, to Louisiana & North West #48 in 1974, to Waccamaw Coast Line 48 1/92, stored at Chadbourn in disrepair 87 GM SW9 1200 Originally built as the Chesapeake & Ohio #5092 in 1953, to Baltimore & Annapolis #87, still painted and lettered for B&A and stored in Chadbourn 88 GM F7A 1500 ex-MILW, ex-Waccamaw Coast Line, stored at Chadbourn in disrepair 100 GM GP18 1800 Originally built in 1960 as Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific #1333, ex-Nashville & Ashland City #9, ex-McCormick, Ashland City & Asheville #9, red and white, in regular freight service 943 GM GP18 1800 Originally built as Norfolk Western #943, ex-Waccamaw Coast Line #943, high, short hood, in faded WCL purple paint, in regular freight service 950 GM GP18 1800 ex-Mid-Atlantic, ex-Norfolk Southern, ex-Norfolk & Western, in red and white Carolina Southern paint, chop nosed by CALA 951 GM GP18 1800 ex-Mid-Atlantic, ex-Norfolk Southern, ex-Norfolk & Western, in Carolina Southern Pullman green, chop nosed by CALA 958 Gm GP18 1800 ex-Mid-Atlantic, ex-Norfolk Southern, ex-Norfolk & Western, in gray/maroon Mid-Atlantic paint, chop nosed by CALA without benefit of a repaint 2613 GM GP30 2250 ex-Waccamaw Coast Line, ex-Norfolk Southern, ex-Southern, high, short hood 6622 GM F9BU 1750 Originally built March 1957 as the Canadian National 6622, class GPB-17d, retired from CN roster and transferred to VIA 31 March 1978, sold for scrap by VIA November 1991 to Montreal Locomotive Sales, Lachine QC, sold March 1992 to Waccamaw Coastline Railroad, to Carolina Southern Railroad, in service as of 2002, repainted in CN colors by WCL 9158 GM F7AU 1500 Originally built August 1952 as the Canadian National #9080, F7A, class GFA-17a , reclassified GFA-15d, September 1954, rebuilt to 9158 November 1972, class GFA-17a, retired December 1989, sold to Century Locomotive Parts, Lachine QC in 1992, to Waccamaw Coastline Railroad, to Carolina Southern, red and white, ex-Canadian National 9163 GM F7AU 1500 Originally built November 1952 as the Canadian National #9116, F7A, class GFA-17a, reclassified GFA-15d, September 1954, rebuilt to 9163 April 1973, retired December 1989, sold to Century Locomotive Parts, Lachine QC in 1992, sold to Waccamaw Coastline Railroad, to Carolina Southern Railroad, red and white, in regular freight service Radio frequencies
Carolina Southern
160.470
161.505Waccamaw Coast Line
461.450
466.450References
- ^ Kent Bernhard Jr., "Railroad Bidder May Get $800,000," The Sun News, July 18, 1996.
- ^ Kent Bernhard Jr., "Panel Rejects Railroad Bid," The Sun News, August 2, 1996.
- ^ Craig S. Lovelace, "Rail Troubles Remain As Bridge Lowers," The Sun News, July 10, 1997.
- ^ Natalie Burrowes Pruitt, "Company Restoring Old Tracks," The Sun News, June 5, 2001.
- ^ Natalie Burrowes Pruitt, "Rail Line Roars Again After 14 Years," The Sun News, June 23, 2001.
- ^ Jones, Steve (2011-11-02). "Horry County seeking $20 million for rail system upgrades". The Sun News. http://www.thesunnews.com/2011/11/02/2478397/horry-county-seeking-20-million.html. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
External links
- Carolina Southern Railroad
- Carolina Southern Railroad Co (information)
- First crossing of Intracoastal Waterway drawbridge
Common carrier railroads of North Carolina Current 
See also: List of United States railroads by political divisionCommon carrier railroads of South Carolina Current 
Miscellaneous Former carriers See also: List of United States railroads by political divisionCategories:- North Carolina railroads
- South Carolina railroads
- Companies operating former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad lines
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