Charleston and Western Carolina Railway

Charleston & Western Carolina Railway
Overview
LocaleGeorgia and South Carolina
Dates of operation1896–1959
SuccessorAtlantic Coast Line Railroad
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length341 miles (549 km)

The Charleston and Western Carolina Railway (C&WC) was formed in 1896 to operate the lines of the former Port Royal and Augusta Railway (PR&A) and the Port Royal and Western Carolina Railway (PR&WC). The PR&A and PR&WC had originally been part of the Central of Georgia Railroad but the South Carolina Legislature had forced the railroad to give up the subsidiary lines. The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) took over the C&WC in 1897 but operated it as a subsidiary until 1959 when the ACL fully absorbed it. Much of the original system is still in use by ACL successor CSX Transportation.

Origins[edit]

When the Charleston & Western Carolina Railway was created in 1896, it combined two existing railroads, the Port Royal and Augusta Railway and the Port Royal and Western Carolina Railway into a single entity. The oldest portion of the line, the PR&A, ran from Port Royal to Augusta, a distance of 112 miles (180 km) following its completion in 1873. It was financed by the Georgia Railroad of Augusta, which sought to extend its own network and gain access to a port on the east coast. Fearing its port at Savannah would be compromised by any expansion of the facilities at Port Royal, the Central of Georgia Railway took control of the Port Royal & Augusta in 1881.[1]

The Central of Georgia sought to expand into the western portion of South Carolina in order to funnel traffic through their lines out of Augusta. In order to accomplish this goal, the Central leased the Augusta and Knoxville Railroad in 1883, which owned a 68 miles (109 km) line from Augusta to Greenwood. Shortly thereafter, the Central financed construction of three new lines; the first was an extension from Greenwood to Spartanburg, 66 miles (106 km) completed in 1885, the second a branch from McCormick to Anderson, 58 miles (93 km), and a final branch from Laurens to Greenville, 36 miles (58 km). In 1886, all of these branches including the Augusta & Knoxville were merged to create the Port Royal and Western Carolina Railway.[2] Financial trouble in 1894 caused the Central of Georgia to lose control of both companies.[1]

Finally, in 1896, the Charleston & Western Carolina Railway was organized to consolidate both railroads into a single entity. The result was a 341 miles (549 km) railroad network covering most of western South Carolina. In 1897, the Atlantic Coast Line took control of the C&WC and operated the railroad as an independent company.

The C&WC operated passenger train service between Augusta and Port Royal, with a major transfer stop at Yemassee, South Carolina. At the Yemassee passengers could transfer to ACL trains to Savannah and to Charleston.[3] Passenger service ended between 1954 and 1957.[4]

The ACL formally absorbed the C&WC in 1959.[1] From there, the trackage of the former C&WC moved through the merger tree, first to the Seaboard Coast Line in 1967, followed by the Seaboard System in 1983, and finally CSX Transportation in 1986. Most of the original C&WC system survives under CSX Transportation, which includes the Augusta Subdivision, McCormick Subdivision, and the Spartanburg Subdivision. The remains of the former Laurens to Greenville branch survives as the Carolina Piedmont Railroad.

Historic stations[edit]

Main Line
State Milepost City/Location Station[5] Connections and notes
SC AMJ 468.1 Port Royal Port Royal
AMJ 463.8 Beaufort Beaufort
AMJ 462.1 Burton
AMJ 455.2 Seabrook
AMJ 453.9 Coosaw junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Charleston Subdivision
AMJ 450.0 Sheldon
A 443.3 Yemassee Yemassee junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Main Line
AMH 449.0 Early Branch
AMH 453.4 Cummings
AMH 459.9 Varnville Varnville
AMH 461.9 Hampton Hampton junction with Hampton and Branchville Railroad
AMH 462.6 Mauldins Mill
AMH 468.4 Brunson Brunson
AMH 471.9 Fairfax Fairfax junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Main Line
AMH 477.3 Allendale Allendale junction with Carolina Midland Railway (SOU)
AMH 485.6 Beldoc
AMH 489.2 Martin
AMH 492.7 Millett
AMH 501.2
AK 431.2
Robbins junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Florence—Robbins Line
AK 438.6 Ellenton
AK 445.2 Jackson Jackson
AK 448.4 Kathwood
AK 454.3 Beech Island
GA AK 459.5 Augusta Augusta Union Station junction with:
AK 461.5 Broad Street
AK 468.2 Martinez
AK 472.0 Evans
SC AK 472.6 Griffin
AK 476.8 Woodlawn
AK 483.5 Clark Hill
AK 488.4 Modoc
AK 492.3 Parksville Parksville
AK 497.7 Plum Branch Plum Branch
AK 502.9 McCormick McCormick junction with Anderson Branch
AK 509.5 Troy Troy
AK 513.8 Bradley
AK 523.3 Salak
AK 524.8 Maxwell
AK 527.8 Greenwood Greenwood junction with:
AK 534.3 Coronaca
AK 542.1 Waterloo
AK 553.8 Irby
AK 554.7 Laurens Laurens junction with:
AK 561.6 Ora
AK 566.7 Enoree
AK 570.1 Kilgore
AK 574.4 Woodruff Woodruff
AK 580.2 Switzer
AK 582.8 Moore
AK 586.7 Roebuck
AK 592.7 Spartanburg Spartanburg junction with:
Anderson Branch
Milepost City/Location Station Connections and notes
AKH 502.9 McCormick McCormick junction with Main Line
AKH 510.8 Bordeaux
AKH 515.1 Willington
AKH 519.2 Mount Carmel
AKH 527.6 Calhoun Falls Calhoun Falls junction with Georgia, Carolina and Northern Railway (SAL)
AKH 537.8 Lowndesville Lowndesville
AKH 545.5 Iva Iva
AKH 551.2 Starr Starr
AKH 553.1 Deans
AKH 561.4 Anderson Anderson junction with Blue Ridge Railway
Greenville Branch
Milepost City/Location Station Connections and notes
AKJ 554.7 Laurens Laurens junction with Main Line
AKJ 558.9 Doubling
AKJ 561.8 Barksdale
AKJ 565.1 Gray Court Gray Court
AKJ 566.8 Owings
AKJ 572.6 Fountain Inn Fountain Inn
AKJ 577.3 Simpsonville Simpsonville
AKJ 582.9 Mauldin Mauldin
AKJ 590.7 Greenville Greenville junction with:

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Prince, Richard E. (2000) [1966]. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. Indiana University Press. pp. 85–97. ISBN 0-253-33694-5.
  2. ^ Wade, James H. Jr. (1993). Greenwood County and its Railroads: 1852-1992. The Museum. pp. 47–81. ISBN 0-9634787-1-0.
  3. ^ "Charleston & Western Carolina Railway". Official Guide of the Railways. 87 (7). National Railway Publication Company. December 1954.
  4. ^ "Charleston & Western Carolina Railway". Official Guide of the Railways. 90 (7). National Railway Publication Company. December 1957.
  5. ^ Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Charleston Division Timetable (1964)