Piedmont and Northern Railway

Infobox SG rail
railroad_name=Piedmont and Northern Railway
logo_filename=pnlogosmall.gif
logo_size=127
old_gauge=
marks=PN
locale=Charlotte, North Carolina to Gastonia, North Carolina
Greenwood, South Carolina to Spartanburg, South Carolina| start_year=1911
end_year=1969
successor_line=SCL
hq_city=Charlotte, North CarolinaThe Piedmont and Northern Railway reporting mark|PN was a heavy electric interurban company operating over two disconnected divisions in North and South Carolina, respectively. The trackage ran convert|128|mi|km all told, with the northern division running convert|24|mi|km from Charlotte, to Gastonia, North Carolina, with a three-mile spur to Belmont. The southern division was the larger of the two, with the main line running convert|89|mi|km from Greenwood to Spartanburg, South Carolina, with a mi to km|31|abbr=yes spur to Anderson. The line was electrified at 1500 volts DC, but much of the electrification was abandoned when dieselisation was completed in 1954. Passenger service ended in 1951. The system was absorbed into the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in 1969.

Development

The P&N was first proposed in 1909 by William States Lee, vice-president of Southern Power and Utilities Co., as an "electrically powered interurban railway system linking the major cities of the Piedmont Carolinas."cite web| url=http://www.cmhpf.org/projectP&N1203.htm| title=Thrift P&N Railroad Station - Old Mt. Holly Road, Paw Creek Community| publisher= Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission| accessdate=2007-11-01| ]

In 1910, the Piedmont Traction Company was formed as a street railway to operate in and around Gastonia, NC. In the same year, the Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson Railway Company was formed in South Carolina as a street railway authorised to run between fixed termini. The two companies then formed a syndicate, with the PTC acquiring the Charlotte, NC street railway, whilst the GS&A bought the Belton, SC - Anderson, SC line, besides both companies building new lines and securing trackage rights over the lines of various street railways. The network as it finally stood was finished in April, 1914. At some point thereafter, the PTC and the GS&A amalgamated into the Piedmont & Northern Railway Company.

The Charlotte - Mount Holly passenger service started on April 3, 1912, running combination baggage/coach motor cars (series 2000-2022) that had been delivered in 1911 by Jewett Car Co..

Network

The P&N's network in 1964 was connected to the Clinchfield Railroad (CRR), Carolina and North Western Railroad (C&NW), Georgia and Florida Railroad (G&F), Norfolk Southern (NS), Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL), Southern Railway (SOU), Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL), Greenville and Northern Railroad (G&N), Charleston and Western Carolina (C&WC) and Ware Shoals Railroad.

Though owned by Duke Power, the P&N operated coal trains over a branch from Mount Holly, NC, to Terrell, NC, supplying Duke Power's Lake Norman powerplants.

(Data from P&N 1955 Annual Report)

P&N Motive Power

Fate of the Rolling Stock

Some of the electric locomotives were shipped to South America, the rest were scrapped. The diesels were taken over by the Seaboard Coast Line in 1969 after that railroad took over the P&N; of them, all have been scrapped except for one S-4 surviving in the US on the Laurinburg and Southern, and four that were sent to Venezuela.

The interurban #2102, Office Car "Carolina" (formerly Saluda) and Caboose x-23 are preserved and on display to the public at the Railroad Historical Center in Greenwood, SC.

Remnants

Only four of the stations built for the P&N, designed by Charles Christian Hook are still in existence today in North Carolina.

The Thrift depot in the Paw Creek community in Charlotte, NC is the only remaining P&N station in Mecklenburg County, NC; it is presently for sale.

In Gaston County, several structures are still standing. The depot in Mt. Holly, NC is still standing and is currently undergoing restoration. The former P&N depot in Belmont, NC has been restored and was a P&N museum until 2004, when the lease ran out and was not given extension by the owner. The former P&N station in Gastonia, NC, burned down in 1995. Lastly, the small depot of McAdenville, NC is still standing, though it has been relocated from its previous location.

In South Carolina, at least six stations are still standing: Pelzer, Donalds, Hodges, Greer, Piedmont and Anderson.

In Piedmont, SC, the building is still standing, and appears to be in use as a storage shed in reasonable condition.

Nothing remains of the P&N in Honea Path, SC, apart from power poles still standing, delineating the former right-of-way.

The station at Taylors, SC was still standing in 1987. Though it is now gone, a former substation - including some overhead poles of the P&N line - can still be found near the CSX's Enoree River viaduct. [cite web| url=http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=326759| title=Evidence of former P&N electrification| author=Buchanan, Carter| date=2006-03-26| accessdate=2007-11-01| publisher=RRPictureArchives.net| ]

As far as track goes, some of the P&N's former lines are still in existence, some still in operation. The track from Pelzer, SC to Spartanburg, SC is presently the CSX's Belton Subdivision. The segment from Pelzer to Belton was taken over by the Greenville and Western Railway in 2006. The track from Mt. Holly, NC to Gastonia, NC and from Mount Holly to Belmont, NC is still in place. Initially the track belonged to CSX, it is now owned by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, and it is kept in passable condition; there is reportedly interest in starting a trolley or RDC service along the line into Charlotte. The property acquired by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, was a 0.77 mile segment acquired 11/27/1991 from MPSFC 0.75-1.52 and an 11.6 mile main section acquired 12/5/1991 Mt. Holly to Gastonia/Belmont MP SFC 11.39-23.0 and a 3 mile spur MP SFF 0.13-3.13http://www.bytrain.org/corridor/stateowned.html

The former P&N RR Charlotte terminal freight depot was in the Mint/Graham/Second(MLK)St /Third St block, while the Charlotte terminal passenger depot was in the Mint/Graham/Third St/Fourth St block in Charlotte. The International League Charlotte Knights plan to build a new ballpark on the two block site to open for the 2009 or 2010 season. http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/Charlotte-Knights-AAA-Bal-t41132.html

References