 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Reporting mark | PN |
| Locale | Upstate South Carolina,Western North Carolina |
| Dates of operation | 1911–1969 |
| Predecessor | Piedmont Traction Company,Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson Railway |
| Successor | Seaboard Coast Line |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)standard gauge |
| Electrification | 1500 volts DC (until 1954) |
| Length | 128 miles (206 km) |
ThePiedmont & Northern Railway (reporting markPN) was a heavy electricinterurban company operating over two disconnected divisions inNorth andSouth Carolina. Tracks spanned 128 miles (206 km) total between the two segments, with the northern division running 24 miles (39 km) fromCharlotte, toGastonia, North Carolina, including a three-mile (5 km) spur toBelmont. The southern division main line ran 89 miles (143 km) fromGreenwood toSpartanburg, South Carolina, with a 12 mi (19 km) spur toAnderson. Initially the railroad waselectrified at 1500 volts DC, however, much of the electrification was abandoned when dieselisation was completed in 1954.[1]
Unlike similar interurban systems the Piedmont & Northern survived theGreat Depression and was later absorbed into theSeaboard Coast Line Railroad in 1969.[2] Although part of the railroad was abandoned between Greenwood andHonea Path and Belton to Anderson, much of the original system exists today as shortlines.
Although interurban railroads were not nearly as common in the sparsely populated and largely agrarian Deep South, there were a number of small electric networks constructed in the region throughout the early 20th century. Among them was theAnderson Traction Company, created on June 22, 1904, to build and operate within the city of Anderson. Eventually the railroad expanded to complete construction of an extension to Belton by 1910. The railroad was acquired byJames B. Duke ofDuke Power around the same time.
On March 20, 1909, theGreenville, Spartanburg and Anderson Railway was chartered and presided over by Duke. The company used the Anderson Traction Company rails terminating at Belton as a starting point for northward construction to Greenville and construction toward Greenwood to the south, with both cities connected in November 1912. An extension from Greenville to Spartanburg was completed in April 1914. The North Carolina division started with thePiedmont Traction Company, also owned by Duke, and completed its route between Charlotte and Gastonia, North Carolina on July 3, 1912.
Both sections were electrified to 1,500 volts DC with power supplied from mainly hydroelectric sources. Additionally both segments were built to steam road standards with minimal street running.
The Piedmont & Northern was created in 1914 to consolidate both the Greenville, Spartanburg & Anderson in South Carolina and the Piedmont Traction Company in North Carolina. In 1916 the railroad completed a 3-mile (4.8 km) spur to Belmont, North Carolina. On numerous occasions the company sought to link the two disconnected segments and expand toDurham, North Carolina, however, the plans never materialized due to stiff resistance from theSouthern Railway, which the P&N paralleled in both states.[1]
Although many railroads were hostile to the Piedmont & Northern, a friend was found with theSeaboard Air Line, which connected with the P&N at Charlotte and Greenwood.[3] Throughout its existence the P&N stressed interchange traffic over its efficient electric lines, and with good reason: the railroad shared numerous interchanges with several major railroads.[1]
The P&N's network in 1964 was connected to theClinchfield Railroad (CRR),Carolina and Northwestern Railway (Ca&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) andWare Shoals Railroad.
Though owned byDuke Power, the P&N operated coal trains over a branch from Mount Holly, NC, to Terrell, NC, supplying Duke Power's Lake Norman powerplants.
| Mile | Station | Interchange | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | Charlotte | Southern, NS | Piggyback ramps |
| 3.8 | Chemway | ||
| 4.1 | Pinoca | SAL | Shops (still in use byCSX) |
| 5.4 | Toddville | ||
| 6.9 | Thrift | ||
| 10.6 | Sodyeco | ||
| 11.1 | Mount Holly | ||
| -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 0.0 | Mount Holly | ||
| Riverbend | |||
| Cowans Ford | |||
| Denrock | |||
| Denver | |||
| Terrell | |||
| -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 13.5 | North Belmont | ||
| -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 0.0 | North Belmont | ||
| 3.1 | Belmont | Southern | |
| -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 16.5 | McAdenville Junction | ||
| 17.6 | McAdenville | ||
| 17.9 | Lowell | ||
| 19.7 | Ranlo | ||
| 21.7 | Groves | ||
| 23.4 | Gastonia | Southern, C&NW | Piggyback ramp |
| Mile | Station | Interchange | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | Spartanburg | ACL, Southern, Clinchfield, C&WC | Piggyback ramp |
| 3.9 | Saxon (Camp Wadsworth?) | ||
| 6.6 | Clevedale | ||
| 10.2 | Startex | Southern | |
| 12.0 | Lyman | Southern | |
| 13.4 | Duncan | ||
| 18.3 | Greer | Southern | |
| Chick Springs | |||
| 23.1 | Taylors | Southern | |
| 27.1 | Paris (Hampton Heights?) | ||
| 33.5 | Greenville (River Junction) | ACL, G&N, Southern, C&WC | Piggyback ramp |
| 36.5 | White Horse | ||
| Golden Grove | |||
| 43.7 | Piedmont | Southern | |
| 48.4 | Pelzer | Southern | |
| 50.5 | Williamston | Southern | |
| Thomason/Cheddar | |||
| 58.0 | Belton | Southern, C&NW | |
| -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 0.0 | Belton | Southern, C&NW | |
| Campbell | |||
| Toxaway | |||
| 11.6 | Anderson | C&NW, ACL, C&WC | |
| -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 65.8 | Honea Path | Southern | |
| 71.4 | Donalds | ||
| 74.3 | Shoals Junction | Southern, Ware Shoals RR | |
| 80.2 | Hodges | ||
| 83.9 | Downs | Southern | |
| Harris | |||
| 88.9 | Greenwood | ACL, G&F, SAL, Southern, C&WC | Piggyback ramp |
Plans to connect the North and South Carolina divisions between Spartanburg, SC and Gastonia, NC, and to expand northwards towardsWinston-Salem, NC, were successfully blocked by appeals by the Southern Railway and other entities in court cases in the 1930s, specificallyPIEDMONT & N. RY. CO. v. UNITED STATES, 280 U.S. 469 (1930) andPIEDMONT & N R. CO. v. INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION, 286 U.S. 299 (1932).
The P&N, though involved in extensive passenger operations, was primarily a heavy freight carrier. The most important commodity transported was coal and coke, but also of significance were cotton (including cotton waste) and paper.
| Commodity | Carloads, 1954 | Carloads, 1955 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grain and Grain Products | 3221 | 3258 | +37 |
| Packing House Products | 2200 | 2381 | +181 |
| Fruits and Vegetables | 1874 | 1838 | -36 |
| Coal and Coke | 30203 | 37995 | +7792 |
| Building Materials | 4465 | 4966 | +501 |
| Cotton and Wastes | 8093 | 8907 | +814 |
| Textile Products | 2746 | 2842 | +96 |
| Sand and Stone | 2196 | 2521 | +325 |
| Automobiles | 1889 | 2061 | +172 |
| Oil and Gasoline | 2920 | 2738 | -182 |
| Fertilizer and Fertilizer Products | 4056 | 3176 | -880 |
| Machinery | 613 | 732 | +119 |
| Paper and Paper Products | 6480 | 6786 | +306 |
| Clay and Fullers Earth | 1897 | 1805 | -92 |
| Iron and Steel Articles | 2746 | 3297 | +37 |
| Forest Products | 2257 | 2054 | -203 |
| Merchandise | 4767 | 4350 | -417 |
| Miscellaneous | 17128 | 17986 | +858 |
(Data from P&N 1955 Annual Report)
Only four of the stations built for the P&N, designed byCharles 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 inMecklenburg County,NC; it is presently for sale."[4]
InGaston County, several structures are still standing. The depot inMount Holly, North Carolina is still standing and is used as a hair salon. The former P&N depot inBelmont, 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 ofMcAdenville, NC is still standing, though it has been relocated from its previous location.
In South Carolina, at least four stations are still standing:Donalds,Hodges,Greer, andAnderson. The abandoned depot atPelzer burned on the night on January 26, 2011, and shortly afterward it and the nearby Piedmont station were demolished by the CSX which had refused to support a local effort to save the Pelzer station.[5]
Nothing remains of the P&N inHonea Path, SC, apart from power poles still standing, delineating the former right-of-way.
The station atTaylors, 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 theCSX'sEnoree River viaduct.[6]
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.BB&T Ballpark now sits on the former depot site.
Some of the P&N's former lines are still in existence, with limited amounts still in operation. The track from Pelzer, SC to Spartanburg, SC is the CSX's Belton Subdivision. The segment from Pelzer to Belton was taken over by theGreenville and Western Railway in 2006. In Gaston County, 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 theNorth Carolina Department of Transportation, which awarded a contract in May 2010 toPatriot Rail Corporation to restore the track and operate trains along the 12 miles (19 km) line.[7] Since May 2022, this segment is operated byCharlotte Western Railroad.[8]
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