Aberdeen Carolina & Western
Aberdeen to Star
Introduction:
With roots going back to an 1887 logging railroad, one would expect this shortline to be quaint and dainty. It isn't. In fact, it is a model of how to run a modern, efficient, profitable railroad in the early 21st Century. This Frograil tour will allow you to pace and photograph a 65-car, 4-6 engine, 8,000 ton unit corn train as it winds thru Aberdeen, up the 2.8% hill beyond, and then thru the countryside and curves to Candor. Finally, we'll follow the engines to the AC&W terminal at Star.
If you have never taken a Frograil tour before, you are strongly encouraged to visit the Frograil Tour Guide home page, which is loaded with good info for you. Following the advice on that page will save you time, effort, and quite probably, some grief. The page is here.
Disclaimer: This site is part of the Frograil railfan locations domain, and is in no way an official site of the Aberdeen, Carolina & Western Railway.
Contents And Navigation
Other Tours
For information concerning the other Frograil tours which have been put together, go to the Tour Guide. If you've never taken a Frograil tour before, I strongly urge you to print out the Tour Guide, and carefully follow its suggestions.
Contributors AND SOURCES
Tony Hill, Webmaster. All content unless otherwise specifically indicated. Any first person pronoun within Frograil is a direct comment from Tony, unless otherwise indicated.
Jan Lingle, Superintendent of the railroad was instrumental in providing information about the status of maintenance upgrades being implemented in 2007-8, railroad operations, and traffic information. He was most generous with his time, and his generousity is appreciated.
Rick Tufts provided helpful corrections and suggestions. He especially helped with some of the historical aspects of the various locations.
Garreth McDonald provided excellent information about the Aberdeen & Briar Patch Railway chapter of this railroad line's history.
Stewart, Kevin G.; and Roberson, Mary-Russell. Exploring the Geology of the Carolinas. University of North Carolina Press, 2007. ISBN: 978-0-8078-5786-1. This is a terrific, down-to-earth book written for laymen (aka: railfans), not academic experts. In my not so humble opinion, the more you know about the geology of the area within which you're railfanning, the more fascinating train watching becomes. If you go to the Sandhills, the Southern Loops, or the A-Line, and fail to appreciate the geology underlying the railroad, you've cheated yourself out of a fascinating dimension of our hobby.
Train Gifs. All train gifs used within this tour are from the Ed Bindler's train gifs site, which is here.
Help
If you'd like to contribute to this, or any other tour, please contact me at webmaster@frograil.com, and let me know what you'd like to do. We'll work together: You supply the data/info, and I'll do the HTML stuff and upload it. You'll get a chance to review the fruits of your efforts before the general public sees the finished product, so you can let me have your corrections, additions and changes.
Supplemental And Back-Up Data
The Railroad -- History. In 1887 a logging railroad was built between Aberdeen and the community of West End. It was extended to Star in 1895, and in 1897, a line built south from Asheboro joined at Star, and the completed Aberdeen and Asheboro Railroad was the result. The line became part of the Norfolk Southern Railway (the original NSRY, not today's Norfolk Southern Railway) in 1913, and was taken over by the Southern Railway in 1974; in 1982 the Southern merged with the Norfolk & Western Railway to form Norfolk Southern Corporation..
The (new) Norfolk Southern ran it's last run over the line on December 23, 1983, and subsequently sold the line to the Aberdeen & Briar Patch Railway, which made its first trip on January 3, 1984. Apparently, the three years of the ABPR's existence were rather colorful!In 1987, the Aberdeen, Carolina & Western was incorporated, and purchased the railroad line between Aberdeen and Star. (The tracks between Star and Asheboro had been removed many years before.) The AC&W took over operations of the line on June 19, 1987.
The Railroad -- Geology. You could be excused for wondering why a railfan should care about the geology of an area in which the trains he is observing run. This tour is within a special area, however, and the geology is front and center during the 2.8% climb out of Aberdeen. Running northeast - southwest in a zone between the Coastal Plain and the Piedmont is a relatively small area of North and South Carolina known as the Sandhills. And that's exactly what they are.
Way, way back, about 84-86 million years ago, the sea coast of the Atlantic Ocean was way up -- all the way to what is now the Sandhills. The Appalachian mountains were eroding madly away, sending iron rust, sand, and pebbles down to the then-coast. Sand dunes built up and got blown this way and that. The sand and pebbles gradually became encased in a matrix of iron oxide, and were compressed to become sort of hardened, fossilized sand dunes turned into hills. The trains struggling out of Aberdeen up that hill are climbing up a pre-historic, ocean-side sand dune. Even the screeching curve at Lucas Road, between West End and Elberta, is riding along the crest of another such dune. For that matter, the Pit Golf Links merely trace the site of an excavated massive dune.
Geology and railroad engineering go hand-in-hand, and geology definitely determined where the original Asheboro and Aberdeen Railroad was to be built.
[Webmaster's Note: Please see the Contributors section for the proper credit for this information.]
The Railroad -- Operations. If you're a fan who has to see a train every 15 seconds to stay interested, read no further. Most weekdays, there is one "miscellaneous" freight between Aberdeen and Candor (and often up to Star), or the reverse. The big draws, and the most important financial impact on the railroad, however, are the 65-car unit grain trains that come from the mid-West via CSX at Hamlet to Aberdeen. These trains supply the major poultry feed processing plants in Candor: Perdue and Mountaire. The latter is probably 40-50% larger than Perdue.
Note that the unit "grain" trains are actually unit corn trains, as they exclusively haul covered hoppers of corn. The miscellaneous trains are most interesting, as they not only pick up and deliver to lineside customers along the way, they also tend to haul one car of poultry feedstock for every three cars delivered via unit trains. Poultry cannot thrive on a diet of ground corn alone. These additional feedstocks include soy meal, distillers dry grain, gluten meal, and even phosphate. In late 2007/early 2008, crushed rapeseed carried in Canadian covered hoppers was added to the mix. As you can imagine, the miscellaneous trains can vary between fairly short and very long, and include covered hoppers, tank cars of butane, woodchip cars, bulkhead flats, and GOK what else.
Photo considerations. For most of the sites included herein, I try to give you an idea of the availability of photo fields. These ratings are not to be considered indications of the photogenic aspects of a place; they are merely an indication of how much open, uncluttered room you have to take pix. I usually give all 4 compass points, such as: NE3, SE1, SW4, NW4. In this example, there is no photo access from the west, poor from the northeast, and excellent from the southeast. If it's 5PM, this is a good photo site, but if it's 9AM, you might want to use the tour photo ratings to suggest better locations. For areas with no crossing, east and west ratings (e.g., E2/W1) are used.
Security. This short distance covered in this tour sees a wide variety of socioeconomic conditions. The average income for residents of Pinehurst is astronomical; for those in Eagle Springs and Jackson Station, it's abysmal. This causes some resentment and even anger. Some of the residents of the poorer areas have become addicted to drugs and are pretty desperate. Use common sense in all areas: Always railfan with at least one male friend. Don't fan after dark. Don't flash those expensive GPS units, scanners, digital cameras, and digital recorders around.
Abbreviations. Some phrases are used repeatedly in this tour, so I've developed some standard Frograil abbreviations:
AC&W. Aberdeen, Carolina and Western Railway.
AG. An at-grade crossing.
NARL. Not a railfan location. This is because of any number of reasons, such as lousy photo ops, dangerous, no shoulder, etc. As a general rule of thumb, it is wise to avoid NARL's.
NFOG. Not found on the ground. There may have been a road or crossing here "back in the day", but it was not found while I did the on-the-ground research for this tour.
NO. Not observed -- for some reason, I didn't get over to the location, and cannot comment on it.
Mapwork: Much of the tour is made easier if you have a detailed map for back country roads. You can find information about Railfan Maps that are available.
WEBMASTER'S NOTE: I do not recommend walking along the tracks, as this means trespassing or exposing yourself to danger. You will have to be creative, in some instances, to avoid trespassing while getting to the detailed locations included herein, but you will either have to be creative or not visit those sites. At no point in this tour guide, or any other tour which is part of Frograil, is it recommended that you trespass or expose yourself to danger. If you are a fool and have a leg cut off (or worse), don't come crying to me: You have been warned. Trains are big, powerful, and often surprisingly quiet. Don't end up being a statistic.
Aberdeen to Star -- Railfan sites
The Tour
Aberdeen -- CSX Interchange. From the intersection of US-1/15/501 with NC-5 in Aberdeen, go east on East South Street. Just after crossing a set of tracks, take a right on South Sycamore Street. Actually, the tracks cross South Street virtually in the middle of the intersection with Sycamore. In a short distance, there will be a nice, large open area on the left. Look for a "Begin ACWR Maintenance" sign between two sets of tracks. Park on the left, well back from the tracks. There are three sets of tracks, with the most distant being the CSX line between Hamlet to the south and Raleigh to the north. The second track is a connector between ACWR and CSX. The third track is the AC&W main heading off towards Pinehurst and Star.
To the south, just beyond the bridge carrying US-15/501 over the tracks, is AC&W's two track "yard". CSX interchanges traffic with AC&W here, and also delivers unit grain trains to the railroad. However, the area is treed in and posted, so remain back near the sign mentioned above. If you see white AC&W pick-up trucks zooming around and back and forth, the guys are probably building a train or getting ready to send one north.
Photo ratings are E4/W1, with no access at all from the west.
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Aberdeen -- South Street. The trackage in the vicinity of the before-mentioned South Street/Sycamore Street intersection is interesting. To best see what is happening, go back up Sycamore, cross South Street, and find a place to park. There is a park-like area to the south, and as you can see, the track you've just crossed, besides being the AC&W main, is the south leg of a wye. To the north is the north leg, and the east leg is an extension of the AC&W track leading to the attractive Aberdeen station. There are actually three railroads here. The CSX and AC&W you already know about, but the Aberdeen & Rockfish is here also, just to the northeast across the CSX main line.
The buildings in the area of the South/Sycamore streets intersection are old and not particularly attractive, but could provide some interesting props for photos. In particular, the one on the southwest corner is so close to the tracks that its front had to be beveled to make it "fit". The trains miss it by what seems to be inches. For photos, probably the most open access in is the park south of Sycamore Street.
Aberdeen -- Poplar Street. Go back to South Street and turn right; in less than a block, look for Pony Express Way on the right, and take it. Take the first right, as the one beyond the sign goes into the post office's loading area. Park behind the post office, and walk north on Poplar Street. Just west of the street, the north and south legs of the wye come together and head on towards US-1/15/501 and the climb up to Pinehurst. The best area for photos is actually from the parking lot itself. There is a beautiful Methodist church next to the north leg of the wye, but it would be tough to work it into a photo, as the north leg is almost never used.
The crossing itself is at MP 56.5, as measured south from Asheboro, where the railroad used to originate, many, many years ago.
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Aberdeen -- Clearwater Estates.West of Poplar Street, the railroad looks as if it goes straight for some distance. Looks can be deceiving, and that's the case here. Between the Sycamore Street location and the base of the hill going out of Aberdeen, there is a 90º turn to the west, and then another major curve to the north just after US-1/15/501 is crossed at grade. Because of the curves and its major highway crossing, the speed limit is only 10 miles per hour.Even without the curves, however, the trackage has to be 10mph, because it is technically in yard limits all the way north to the Pit Golf Links. It's what's on the other side of the highway that's the problem, however; a hill going up to Pinehurst with a 2.8% gradient. Because of the speed restriction, the train cannot get a "running start" before attacking the hill.
As for the crossing of the highway itself, you can get pictures, but it's so busy that I don't recommend it. It's a hoot to watch the traffic back up as a fully loaded, 65-car, 8,000+ ton corn train crosses the road at about 10 mph, and that's with 12,000 - 18,000 horsepower lugging for all its worth up front.
From the intersection of South Street and US-1/15/501, go west across the highway, and South now becomes Pinehurst Road/NC-5. Because the name changes a few times, Frograil will refer to it as NC-5. Immediately past the highway, the environment changes dramatically, as once past a gas station, you are going up a hill, and there are pines on both sides of the road. MapQuest and other resources show a road branching off NC-5 just past the highway, crossing the tracks, and then paralleling it to the north. It was NFOG, and no longer exists. Remnants of the road exist in the area of a park and reservoir, but the intersection off NC-5 is long gone. The railroad mostly remains almost close enough to reach out and touch, but the trees and undergrowth make photos nearly impossible to get. There are a few spots as the road curves from southeast to northwest that offer limited viewing. However, it's the sound that's impressive thru here -- those big dogs are giving it everything they have as they battle the law of gravity.
Finally, the road will straighten out running northwest, and there is a crossing at Clearwater Estates Street. The crossing and the streets are a little confusing. There is a dirt road heading southeast -- the last part of the vestigial road that you can no longer access from NC-5 back at the base of the hill. The road heading north is named "Clearwater Est" on MapQuest, and the aerial images clearly show it, but it's pretty rudimentary looking on the ground. To the north west is a road leading to a manufacturing facility. The crossing area is posted as being private, so parking is a problem. I doubt that you'll be troubled if you were to take a photo and leave, but you definitely don't want to hang around.
Photo ops are pretty good, at NE1, SE2, SW2, NW1. This is a good spot to catch the engines working hard to get up to Pinehurst. There is a spur going south across NC-5 to a plant that turns plastic pellets into plastic sheeting and bags. The pellets are delivered by AC&W in covered hoppers.
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Aberdeen -- Builders First Source.A little ways past Clearwater Estates, you'll see a significant entrance to a cement plant. The crossing is tight and the heavy truck traffic -- non-stop -- makes it NARL. Shortly thereafter, you'll cross another spur, this one going to the southwest. Gulistan Carpets manufactures synthetic carpets here, and receives its feedstocks via the AC&W. Very shortly past the spur, you'll see Builders First Source hardware and lumber yard on the right. Go into the parking area and park near the tracks. While private, if you'll let the folks in the store know who you are and what you're doing, you'll be OK, but this really isn't a place to hang out.
The best photo angle is to the northwest from the north side of the tracks. The area between the tracks and NC-5 is too narrow to be a photo location, unless you expose yourself to the risk of traffic.
Aberdeen -- Fields Avenue Complex.A very short distance beyond Builders First Source, Fields Avenue will be on the right. It goes north for 200 yards, turns 90º west for a few more hundred yards, and then does another 90º to take it back to NC-5. It makes a rectangle, therefore, with the 4th side being NC-5. Running south from the side opposite NC-5 is Vann Place, which does go thru to NC-5, also. All three legs of this commercial/industrial area offer slightly different opportunities and challenges for picture takers. Ferrell Gas gets a lot of propane in cold weather -- delivered by AC&W, of course -- and is at the foot of Vann Place.
I've purposely not rated photo potential at these individual crossings, because they are very close together and, depending on what railroad cars may be in the area, you may or may not have a photo field at a particular place. Photo ops run from 2-4 on the north, but from the south, it's pretty tight, at no better than a 3.
Aberdeen -- Pit Golf Links Road.If you were a bird, say, 20 years ago, and flew north of NC-5, over the Fields Avenue area, and a little beyond, you'd be able to look down on a very large sand pit operation. Today, if you were now a good bit older bird, you'd be surprised to see an extensive golf course. This is the first evidence that we are entering into one of the Destination Locations for golf, not just for Americans, but for folks all over the world. We are approaching Pinehurst. Besides being a popular golf course, the Pit Golf Links have to qualify as one of the best restoration efforts in North Carolina.
At the sign, turn right and figure out where to park. Walk back to the crossing, which isn't much of a photo spot: NE3, SE2, SW1, NW4, but it's certainly not bad. The southwest location is one of the few that you can get fairly well back from the tracks and not get run over by a car or truck on NC-5. You have to walk up to the edge of the pines to get some width. [Webmasters Note: I may have confused the northwest and southwest quads here. Check them out on the ground.]
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Aberdeen -- Defunct Road.Just west of the Pit Golf Links Road, look for what looks to be a major road to the right. It led to a Superfund Incinerator that burned DDT-contaminated solids, but today it ends at the tracks. Nothing seems to remain of the incinerator, at least nothing is visible. There is a wire rope across the road, and the area north of the tracks is posted. However, the area from the south is wide open: N4/S1.
Jackson Hamlet -- Linden Road Area.Beyond the defunct road, NC-5 will swing from primarily west-northwest to almost due north, and will remain so all the way into Pinehurst. You will be frustrated that there is no access to the tracks for some distance, as they are very close, but remain completely treed in. Finally, just before you get to Linden Road on the left, the trees miraculously disappear, and you have about 200 yards of quite open access. There is no access from the east, but all afternoon you have excellent access from the west. If you want a wider field of vision, cross NC-5, and hope you don't get skunked by a car or semi. Better yet, park on the west side of the road in a van, SUV, or pick-up, and shoot from the roof/bed. Beyond Ample Pines Drive, you're back to treed in conditions.
The MP 53 marker is just south of Linden Road.
Jackson Hamlet -- Olivia Lane.Approaching the intersection of Olivia Lane (on the right) and Dawkins Street (on the left), there is a shopping area west of NC-5. Besides a Food Lion, there are at least three restaurants, including a chinese joint, pizza parlor, and a Subway. The intersection at Olivia/Dawkins is the specific location that both MapQuest and DeLorme identify as "Jackson Hamlet".
The crossing is on Olivia, and the photo ops are NE1, SE2, SW2, NW4, but with the tracks north-south, you'll have a tough time with northbounds any time of the day.If you visit this location any time from mid-summer to late fall, a weed whacker would really make east side photo access better.
Avoid this area once the sun starts to go down, as it apparently can be rather "active".
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Jackson Hamlet -- Arnett Drive.This one isn't anything to write home about, but if you need to get trackside in a hurry, it will do just fine -- but only if you want to shoot a northbound: NE4, SE1, SW4, NW3. The northwest quad does give at least an opportunity for a so-so to poor shot, but there's a much better location just a little north. Arnette Drive is just north of Olivia, and the name does not appear on any map I've seen, but there is a street sign off NC-5.
This is another place where a weed whacker would be a good thing to have.
Jackson Hamlet -- Blake Boulevard.Still further north, you'll pass Gaines Street on the left. Maps show a lollypop-shaped cul-de-sac off to the right with a crossing, but it was NFOG. When you get to Blake Boulevard, you're really in the Pinehurst area, although the location is still more a part of the historic Jackson Hamlet community. This is the best photo location from the east for several miles. The east side of the intersection of Blake and NC-5 is stuffed with new banks and other commercial establishments. Parking is plentiful, and the area between the service road (which parallels the tracks to the north) and the tracks is manicured and wide open. The service road will take you up to a hardware store, probably 100 yards, or so.
All along the service road, and south of Blake in the BB&T Bank area, you have excellent access for morning southbounds. There is no access from the west, as the distance between NC-5 and the tracks is narrow, and there are decorative trees planted along that narrow area.
We are now going to enter Pinehurst proper, and a warning is in order. Pinehurst is quaint, beautiful and unique. God forbid anyone might suggest putting a decent north-south road thru the area! There are also, and I can say this because I'm over 65 years old, an awful lot of retired folks driving great big cars. A lot of those folks have no concept of a minimum acceptable speed. Traffic borders on the excruciating at times, and you have to be very alert about your driving. You cannot hurry, and you cannot rubberneck thru the village.
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Pinehurst -- Racetrack.Heading north from Blake Boulevard, pass up Monticello, which is NARL. Further on is evidence that horse racing must have been a big event back in the day, because as you enter the town from the south, you'll see a road crossing the tracks and entering what appears to be a stables/paddock area. This road is closed with very secure gates, and is NARL. Apparently, it must be used when there is a major equestrian event.
The next right turn leads into the equestrian area, which is a part of the Pinehurst Resort. This is not a particularly good photo location, at NE1, SE3, SW3, NW3, but the view to the northeast is excellent. The tracks are somewhat northeast-southwest here, so this is an excellent morning to very early afternoon spot for southbounds. Park, get your shot, and get gone!
Pinehurst -- Vista Road. The next crossing to the north is Morganton Road, which is far too tight and busy -- NARL. The crossing at Morganton is at MP 51.20. The railroad now begins to very definitely swing towards the northwest, and you'll see a large parking lot on the right and some white buildings. The parking lot is for Pinehurst Resort employees, and is well posted. You're surrounded by lush, gorgeous golfing scenes, but don't even think of trying to get photos from on the course. However, in the off-season, for only about $275.00, you can play 18 holes of golf on one of the most beautiful courses in the world, and you can take a train photo while doing it. Your chances of winning the lottery are probably better than the chance of being on the right hole at the time a one-per-day train comes through.
It seems a shame to miss such a good photo location, and Rick Tufts has provided the solution:Ignore the white buildings for now, and follow the road around the curve to the northwest and go under the underpass. At the light, take a right onto Cherokee Road, and then your first right onto Vista Road. You are now east of the tracks and the white buildings. Park anywhere that isn't posted, and you're in a good photo spot.
Look around, and you'll realize that this is a pretty large area. In fact, it used to be the site of a 4-track coach yard. Passenger cars and private cars would come in via the Orange Blossom Special when it brought passengers in to Pinehurst in the 1900's. Indeed, there used to be a spur track diverging here, crossing the site of the present-day country club parking lot, and running thru Pinehurst to a power plant.
Immediately past the white buildings next to the parking lot, the road goes down a short, steep hill to go under the tracks, which become almost due west past the overpass. You cannot take a photo of a train on this overpass without seriously endangering yourself. The traffic light straight ahead on NC-5 is the Cherokee Road intersection, and it's a Pinehurst doozy. Get into the left turn lane and be patient. Once you get a chance to turn, bear to the right almost immediately to get onto McKenzie Road SW. The first right is Ritter Road W; take it and park. Parking is not easy in the village, so be very mindful of being a good neighbor.
South of McKenzie is the entrance to Quail Hill, one of many gated communities we'll encounter between here and the western outskirts of West End. The entry road crosses the tracks, and you're well back from any gate. There is no access from the south, so the ratings are N1/S4.
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Pinehurst -- Lost Tree Road.Continue west on McKenzie to a left on Lost Tree Road. Just past the crossing, Oakmont Drive goes to the right. Go right and park. This spot is similar to the previous location, but the photo ops don't look quite as good to me: NE2, SE4, SW4, NW2. However, you can walk along McKenzie for less than a block, and the road will swing to the northwest. At the beginning of the curve, there's a nice open area north of the tracks, and it's definitely rated a "1". The crossing on Lost Tree Road is at MP 50.21.
Pinehurst -- St. Andrews Drive.Continue on McKenzie as it curves further to the northwest, and at Linden Road, turn left. The first road to the left will be St. Andrews Drive. Really, this is just a place to get trackside in a hurry, but the railroad is almost ready to go cross country and will be inaccessible for some ways, so it might be worth stopping for a so-so photo, rather than passing it up for none at all. Ratings are 3's all around.
Pinehurst -- Linden Road.Further west on Linden is your last chance to take a photo before the railroad enters Pinewild, a gated, very large private country club, and a significant detour to rejoin the railroad is required. There is a gated entrance to Pinewild to your right, and immediately past that the railroad curves to the north and crossed Linden Road. Parking is tough -- do not park on the community walking trails. Photo ops are so-so, at NE3, SE3, SW2, NW3, but this is a lazy "x" crossing and not a"+". This is a place more for real photographers than picture takers.
The crossing is at MP 49.38.
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Pinehurst -- Pine Valley.Go across the crossing and find a place to turn around, so you can head east on Linden Road. At the stoplight at NC-5/Beulah Hill Road, take a left and go to the end of the road at a major intersection with NC-211. Take a left and you'll be on or near NC-211 all the way into Candor. As you leave Pinehurst behind, you'll see the railroad come in on your left. The first crossing that offers access is Pine Valley Lane. MapQuest shows a road leading to the northwest between the railroad and NC-211, but it is NFOG. However, there is a cleared area that may have been the start of the road that is ideal for parking. Park and walk up to the tracks.
The railroad is straight here, and it's on an almost dead southeast-northwest bias, allowing pix almost any time of day. It's an x, not a +, so take these with a grain of salt: NE2, SE3, SW2, NW2.
West End -- Tree Farm.As you continue west on NC-211, you'll pass Archie and then May roads on the right. Look for an obvious pull off to the left. Take that, and you'll discover that it seems to go nowhere. There is a "Tree Farm" sign south of the tracks at the top of a small hill. The crossing is posted as being private. About 50 yards west of the crossing is the MP 49 sign. At the top of the hill, you discover that the road is actually a T, with farm roads going to the right and left. All is posted, however. That said, if you knew a train was coming and you walked across the crossing and took a shot or video as it passed, and then went back to your car down near NC-211, I don't think there would be a problem.
Photo ratings are NE2, SE3, SW3, NW2.
West End -- Hoffman Road.A little west of the Tree Farm, you'll see Hoffman Road going to the south (left). Take it park in the vicinity of the tracks, and you'll have a fairly decent southeast-northwest bias to contend with: NE3, SE1, SW2, NW2. Beyond this point, we enter the West End built up area, and things get a little more busy.
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West End -- Edgewood Road.The closer you get to West End, the more the road and railroad swing to the north. Edgewood Road is on the left, inside a fairly broad curve. Take the left, and the photo ratings are: NE3, SE2, SW2, NW4. Again, this is an "x", and not a "+". If you have plenty of time to set up for the train, you might want to continue to the next location, which is perhaps more photogenic, and it definitely offers better photo fields.
West End -- Stanley Road.Stay on Edgewood Road, and drive away from the tracks. The street will make a 90º turn to the right, and then another, to get you back to the tracks. Some maps show a Stanley Road paralleling the tracks between the start and end of Edgewood Road, but it is NFOG, other than vestigial remnants on private property. Once back at the tracks, you have to make a left turn. This is the end of Edgewood Road, and the current south end of Stanley Road. As you drive north, the tracks are treed in on your right for a short way, but as you approach NC-73, the trees thankfully disappear on both sides of the tracks.
The intersection of Stanly Road and NC-73 is fairly busy, and the crossing (via NC-73) is currently NARL (see below), so I'd recommend parking and walking around well south of it to get a site that suits your preferences and the sunlight. The tracks are straight north - south, so this is an excellent location for southbounds. E1/W1.
[Webmaster's Note: There used to be a major Stanley Furniture manufacturing plant in West End, bordering NC-73 on the south, NC-211 on the east, Knox Lane on the west, and Mode Road on the north. As of August 2008, it had been vacant for some 10 years or so, and a project to raze the structures had begun. Until this industrial project is finished, the entire area must be considered to be NARL.]
West End -- Knox Lane.From the intersection of Stanley Road and NC-73, go west on NC-73, and very shortly turn right onto Knox Lane. You'll pass the demolition area, and Knox will take you out of town. At the point where Knox turns 90º to the right, find a place to park. The West End Cemetery is on the left, and a crossing is on your right. NC-211 is directly across from the crossing. Incidentally, you may find maps that label this portion of Knox Lane as Patterson Lane, but the sign on the ground says Knox.
Photo ratings are NE3, SE3, SW2, NW1.
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West End -- Pine Ridge Lane.Go across the crossing, and take a left onto NC-211. MapQuest shows another Patterson Lane making a squared off loop with two crossings, but the south leg was NFOG and the north was a private driveway. A little farther north, take a left onto Pine Ridge Lane and park. The crossing is NE3, SE2, SW2, NW1. The railroad has shifted more to a northwest - southeast bias, which definitely will help with photo lighting.
Seven Lakes -- Lakeway Drive.Get back on NC-211 and you'll shortly come to an industrial road, Christopher Lane, which serves a lumber re-load/distribution center. It is an AC&W customer, but in the summer of 2008, business was way down because of the housing depression and credit squeeze. Beyond the lumber yard is a building truss manufacturer. There is a lot of heavy truck traffic going in an out of both businesses, making Christopher Lane NARL. Very shortly north of Christopher, watch the railroad and you'll probably see the MP 42 marker. There is also a non-inviting crossing, just before Love Grove Church on the right, which is NARL.
Approaching Seven Lakes MapQuest shows a crossing both north and south of Dogwood Drive. Both these crossing roads are supposed to take right angles and meet each other at Dogwood Road. The latter is supposed to go up to Lakeway Drive. Both crossings are NFOG, and the community south of the commercial area at Lakeway drive is part of a gated community. Ignore the entire area displayed by MapQuest.
At the busy intersection with Seven Lakes Drive on the right and Lakeway Drive on the left, take the left and go over the crossing. The crossing is very busy and NARL, but take a right and drive towards a block of shops to the north. Park north of those shops, and you have a very nice view of southbounds: NE2, SE4, SW4, NW1. The views to the south are no good.
If your gas is getting low or your tummy is beginning to rumble, there is good life support here, but none from here all the way to Candor.
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Seven Lakes -- Lucas Road.This next location is very, very different from anything we've seen on this tour so far. Continue northwest on NC-211, and the road will bend from an almost dead northwest - southeast bias to a more east - west bias. Look for Dead Man Curve Road on the left and take it. You will shortly find out why such a name might exist for the road, because when it starts it's big curve, it goes about 75º in a very short distance. It will fool you, because when you enter the curve, you will almost certainly underestimate its extent and sharpness. Be careful.
Since the railroad and road both more or less parallel each other, where is the railroad's curve? After you've rounded the big curve, look for Lucas Road on your left. MapQuest shows a road to the left right in the middle of the curve, but it must have been a temporary logging road. So take the left onto Lucas and drive to the tracks. Cross the tracks and park to the left. MapQuest also shows a road paralleling the tracks to the east, but it is obviously an old logging road, and impassible in a normal vehicle.
The crossing itself is poor for photos, as it's really too tight from any quad; however, the attraction is the curve of the railroad itself. It dramatically curves away from both sides of Lucas. Standing inside the curve on the north and listening to the sounds of pure railroading that a big corn train makes as it struggles thru that curve is to get away from fancy cameras and electronic gadgets, and have your joy of railfanning re-kindled.
Elberta.Get back to Dead Man Curve Road and take a left. This will shortly get you back to NC-211, where another left will get you heading west, and the railroad will shortly be coming in from the left. In the area of Sandspur Court and Hayes Drive/Mill Stone Court, there are clearly crossings (on aerial maps) within about 150 yards of each other, but they are all private, motor home park entrances, and are therefore NARL.
You will note Poor Boy Lane on the right, and should then look for Flower Road on the left. Take the left, and you are in Elberta. Cross the tracks and park. There is a V in the road directly ahead of you, and the left leg is the public road going to the south. The right leg is a magnolia-lined private drive that I half-expected to see Rhett Butler strolling down. It's extremely attractive. This is a very relaxing location.
The tracks are northwest - southeast, and with photo ratings of NE3, SE1, SW1, NW3, you should be able to get photos pretty much all day.
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[NOTE WELL: You will now be entering the village of Eagle Springs. There are excellent photo locations all thru the area, but there are also reports of very active drug dealing, particularly in the vicinity of the corner at Eagle Branch Road. Do not be in the area at all once the sun starts to go down, and in broad daylight, take your pix and get gone. Also, cocaine addicts and methheads are not normally real rich folks, so it might be a good idea not to flash your beautiful new $1,000 camera/recording equipment around.]
Eagle Springs -- "Downtown".When you get back on NC-211, pass Cedar Lane on your right and look for Eagle Springs Road on the left. Take the latter and you'll almost immediately be in beautiful downtown Eagle Springs. There's really not much left of the village, but what is left is a long area, over a quarter-mile of well-maintained, wide-open viewing from the north, and several areas from the south. Depending on where you're standing, this is an N1/S1.
Eagle Springs -- Eagle Branch Road.Just past the area described above, take a left onto Eagle Branch Road and park. The crossing is very good, at NE1, SE2, SW1, NW1. There are a few old buildings that might be handy as photo props. Eagle Springs is pretty cool.
Eagle Springs -- Northwest Curve.When you get back on Eagle Springs Road headed west, you begin a long curve to the northwest. There is a nice, open view of the tracks coming towards you from the northwest, and beginning to swing to the east. When you know a train is coming south, park on the right side of the road and take a broad shot of the train -- not the engines, the train. This is a fine railroad scene.
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Samarcand -- Ghost Buildings.As you continue west on Eagle Springs Road, you'll pass several private road crossings which enter residential areas. Immediately past Sand Pit Park Road (that's a mobile home park), Eagle Springs Road is truncated, and you have to turn right to get over to NC-211 to continue west. Also, maps show a Woodside Lane going north from Eagle Springs Road, but it is also NFOG.
Once back at NC-211, turn left, and you'll shortly see Clement Road going off at an obtuse angle on the left.Slow down before you turn left and look over the trees just a little to your left. This is the first view of what you are approaching. Turn onto Clement and park at the crossing. Apparently, this was the entrance to a large sand pit back in the day, and I suspect that the large W in the circle harkens back to that time. The entire area between Clement Road and Samarcand Road seems to be private property, but it is definitely worth a one time visit. If you can, find someone and ask permission to take pictures of an on-coming train (within a definite period of time, say 10-15 minutes). However, the photo location you want is a little further ahead on what must have been a predecessor to today's NC-211.
Continue to the end of Clement (all of maybe 50 yards), and bear to the right on the same road you were on back at Sand Pit Park Road -- the primative NC-211. This will shortly take you to an area of a couple of very strange, old buildings -- and that's pretty much all you can see. There obviously must have been more here at one time, but these buildings aren't old stores or garages, and what they were is hard to imagine. Indeed, what the entire area must have been like is hard to imagine. There is an almost palpable presence of days gone by here. It's a very odd place.
We can identify one building, thanks to Rick Tufts. As you come into what must have been the village of Samarcand, on the left side is a ricky old building. Wagon wheels were made in it, and you can still see the loading dock. When was the last time, do you suppose, that parts for wheels or finished wheels were received and shipped by rail to/from this old building? Specifically, the building is at N 35.2999673º and W 79.683930º.
Views from the north are wide open, but from the south are non-existant. As you continue west, you'll note the MP 35 marker, and then the road is cut once again. You'll have to backtrack the way you came, all the way back to NC-211.
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Candor -- Perdue East.When you get back to NC-211, turn left and continue west. You'll come to Samarcand Road, and you should take a left and drive down to the intersection with that old NC-211 once again. To the east, the road is cut, and is the opposite end from the end of the road mentioned just past the ghost buildings. The crossing here is NARL, so take a right and continue along this old NC-211, which is now named Spicewood Road. You'll see the Perdue grain elevators growing and growing as you approach them. The railroad becomes double tracked, and at Chappel Road take a left, drive past the truck entrance for Perdue, and park on the right.
Walk accross the truck entrance road and you can get fine pictures of the yard action, as it's all laid out in front of you. Do not enter Perdue's property, and be very mindful of the truck traffic, which is colossal! For shots lateral to the yard, walk north on Spicewood. Shoot from across the road so you have some decent depth of field. Also, perhaps more often than not, your view from the north side of Spicewood will be somewhat blocked by standing covered hoppers.
Candor -- Mountaire West. Take a left back onto Spicewood and continue to the stop sign at NC-211. Take another left, pass up the road to the left, which is another entrance to Perdue, private, and very busy -- NARL. You will have noticed that the Mountaire elevator complex is approximately twice the volume as Perdue's, but you won't see many railroad cars, as the railroad yard and elevator operations are out of public sight soutwest of NC-211. However, after passing up the Perdue entrance, you may see some hoppers on the tracks next to NC-211, and you also have a good chance of catching from 3-5 locomotives waiting to go south with the previous unit train's cars and/or some other cars previously delivered by the merchandise trains. Another thing you can see on the left is tracks leading to the unloading facility at Mountaire, and perhaps the plant's leased (from AC&W) locomotive, but that view will be fleeting.
If you see something cool and want to stop and shoot it, you'll have to park back at the end of Spicewood, or up at the next location, Morris Farm Road. NC-211 is very busy thru here, and the shoulders on both sides of the road are narrow and steep. There is absolutely no place to park.
Take a left onto Morris Farm Road. This street forms the western boundary of the Mountaire property. The offices are reached via the first road to the left, and the truck entrance is the second road to the left; neither has a "railfans welcome" sign out, so do a U-turn in the first road and park between it and the tracks. From here north, we will see no unit trains. The crossing is poor, at NE4, SE4, SW1, NW4. This is one of those rare places where I'm rating the photogenic qualities of the southwest quad, and not the photo field availability. There is a small pecan grove that you can shoot thru to get some neat pix. Emphasize the grove rather than the train.
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Candor -- Bruton Hatchery Road. Continuing west on NC-211, you'll see some (very) limited life support in the vicinity of I-73/74/US-220. Where the northbound entrance ramp goes to the right, look for a small road to the left and take it. This is the vestigial remains of a once larger group of roads. Photo ratings are NE1, SE2, SW3, NW2. Avoid the private area to the southeast.
Candor -- Myers Road. Go under the interstate and look for Myers Road on the left. Ignore what MapQuest or other maps say: Myers Road is what the sign on the ground says. This is an excellent photo location, especially from the southwest: NE1, SE3, SW1, NW1.
Candor -- Station.As you begin to come into Candor's built-up area, look for a sign on the left for a truck repair facility. This will take you close to the station, but two rather healthy looking dogs make their home in the maintenace company's area, so pass this road up (actually, the dogs looked quite friendly, but this is private property). Instead, take the next left, which is Debra Street. At the T, take a left, and the station is right in front of you. There is plenty of parking available.
The station is quite good-sized for this small town, but it's in bad shape. Actually, it may be gone by the time you get to it. The citizens of the area would like to restore it, but I'm afraid they are years too late. Get some pix and record this little bit of history slipping away.
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Candor -- Downtown. Turn around and at Debra, continue straight west on East Railroad Street. You'll soon be downtown, and will encounter, in order: Depot, US-220Alternate, and Second streets. Running parallel to the north between Depot and Second is North Railroad Street. There are areas of clutter, trees, etc, but two particularly good spots are at the southeast quad of Depot/East Railroad on the south, and between Depot and US-220Alternate on the north side. You will, no doubt, want to scope out the entire area to get the shot you want.
Candor -- Tower.From the intersection of East Railroad Street and US-220Alternate, go north over the tracks on the latter, and take a left on Main Street. This road will go due west for a short while, and then turn about 45° to the northwest. As you continue on, look for a tall, thin communications tower on the left. Just at the tower is a vestigial road crossing the tracks on your left. Take the left and park after the crossing.
The crossing is poor for photos, with 4's all around, with the exception of the view from the SE quad (compass south, actually), which is wide open. The marker for MP 31 is immediately north of the crossing.
Candor -- Candor - Troy Road. Get back to Main Street which has become US-220Alternate, and take a left. The tracks will become treed in for some ways, and the first real fan location to the north is at the Candor - Troy Road on the left. The tracks and highway are very close here, so as I give you the photo ratings, remember that I'm assuming that you are on the east side of the street, and not next to the tracks: NNE1, SE1, SW1,NW4. Just west of the crossing, there is an un-named road to the left that gives you beautiful access to oncoming trains from the south, which would be a lovely shot in the late afternoon.
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Candor -- Small Road.Continuing north on US-220Alternate, you'll be passing some private drives that cross the tracks. They get more numerous as we get further north. All are NARL, unless otherwise specifically mentioned. At the intersection with Small Road, take a left, and park near the crossing, not in the mobile home park to the north of the street. Photo ratings are good, at NE1, SE4, NE1, NW3. The view north from the southwest will require you to work around (or with) a few rather small shrubs, but the view is quiet pleasant, and the photo field is fine.
Biscoe -- Freeman to Spring.North of Small Road, approximately just beyond (don't quote me here, as my notes are not nearly precise enough about such things) Freeman Drive, the trees suddenly disappear, and you have good viewing from the east for over a mile, up to about the Spring Drive area. You will probably want to shoot from the east of US-220Alternate, but for the most part, the photo fields are wide open. All crossings to the west are private property, but if it's a short train, I suppose you could kip over, take your shot, and get out of there.
When you get into Biscoe, US-220Alternate is Main Street.
Biscoe was a major shops location for the old Norfolk Southern Railway, having responsibility for heavy maintenance and, at one time, they actually constructed new railroad cars in their shop. According to a link on the city's home page, 4 passenger trains and 6 freight trains went thru Biscoe daily. I have seen a photo of the two-story "station", although it more closely resembles a headquarters/office building than a typical railroad station. As you drive thru the town, it's hard to visualize where all this activity must have taken place.
Biscoe -- Aileen Avenue.As you enter Biscoe proper, you'll first pass an elementary or middle school, and then a high school on the left. Both have public roads crossing the tracks, but I do NOT recommend fanning anywhere near a school, as they are obviously very sensitive areas. Use your judgement on non-school days.Beyond the schools, look for a crossing which veers somewhat sharply back to the southwest. This is Cedar Creek Road, and just past it, take a left onto Aileen Drive and park.
Aileen closely hugs the tracks on the west for quite a ways north, but it also marks the start of a nasty pole line that stretches north all the way thru Biscoe, so some nice locations are ruined. Here are the photo ratings: NE1, SE4, SW4, NW2. So-so.
Biscoe -- Hyde Street. The pole line mentioned that goes north between Aileen and the tracks is unfortunately complemented by a similar, although intermittent one on the east side, between US-220Alternate and the tracks. However, between about Hyde and McAuley streets, the poles are gone on the east side, and you're given a nice AM location. You'll want to walk around and get what you feel suits you best.
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Biscoe -- US-220Alternate North. The more-or-less downtown area is fairly built-up, and the crossing of US-220Alternate and NC-24/27 is very busy, so continue on to the north via US-220Alternate. There is a street west of the tracks, Page Street, but like Aileen, it has a pole line between the street and the tracks all the way thru town. (Page is a pleasant street, however, and there is almost no traffic compared to the highway, so if you just want to look around the vicinity, it's a good choice.)Above approximately the area where North Pine Street goes off to the right, there is no pole line on the east side of the tracks, giving a very nice field of view. You will have to be on the east side of the highway to maximize the view, as the tracks and highway are quite close together.
Biscoe -- Private Road. A little north of North Pine, look for a road that crosses the tracks to Page Street. Go over the crossing and turn right. You will come to a point where the road seems to end, and there is a Progress Energy (the area electric utility company) sign and a large electrical substation straight ahead. This looks like a private, industrial road, but it is not. The road continues past the substation and a Progress Energy office/facities building, and then breaks out into a wide open area with a couple of homes on the left. To the right there is a wide open view of the tracks. The pole line is GONE, and this is the best view from the west in the entire Biscoe area. This area is shown clearly on the aerials, but does not exist on any street map on the Net that I've seen.
Star -- South Railroad Street. Between this point and Star, the railroad is not decently accessible, even though it is hardly ever out of sight. There are lots of crossings, but with the exception of only Airport Road and Salisbury Drive, they are all private, and really not worth a stop anyway. Airport and Salisbury are both NARL, with clutter and very tight conditions.
When you enter the built-up area, look for Lamond Street on the right and park. The next fan location has no parking. Walk across US-220Alternate and continue west on Stewart Street. Cross South Railroad Street to the west and look back north. The railroad is raised above the street here, and ascribes a distinct, but mild S-curve. I think a good photographer could do something at this spot. Other than this shot from the northwest quad of the Stewart Street crossing, the rest of the crossing's fields are 4's.
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Star -- Hotel Street. Star is an old town that is obviously not particularly prosperous, and its buildings reflect that. There are, however, a few photographically interesting locations. From the S-curve, walk back up Steward to your car, and go north three long blocks to Hotel Street. Take a left and find a place to park in the vicinity of the crossing. The photo ops are the best of any in the downtown area, at NE1, SE4, SW2, NW3.
Star -- Bank Street. Head north on Railroad Street one block to Bank Street. If you can't find a place to park, go over the crossing on Bank and park near US-220Alternate. Photo fields are poor all around at the crossing, with the exception of the southwest quad, and you must shoot north to make it work. The picture must be taken on the west side of Railroad Street, at least 100 feet or more south of Bank Street. There is a substantial, old 3-story building which completely occupies the northwest quad, and it can be used as a nice prop.
Star -- NS Yard. Once back on US-220Alternate, you will almost immediately see a turn to the right before an overpass. This is Depot Street; take it to the offices, engine facility, and yard of the AC&W. This is not technically part of the tour, but you'd shoot me if I failed to include it. It is the most reliable place on the entire AC&W to see engines, including F-units that have been purchased for a possible dinner train operation. You can also see the passenger cars that are currently operable, as well as some that would require restoration prior to dinner train usage.
What you will not see, however, is much of any typical freight car yard operations. The railroad that goes thru the yard is the original Norfolk Southern Railway between Raleigh and Charlotte. The line to the east has one customer, a chip mill, several miles east, and the rest of the line to the Sanford area is embargoed. Westward, customers in Mt Gilead are handled by the Oakboro-based crew, and those cars are interchanged at either Charlotte (NS) or Norwood (WSSR).
Every time you go to Star, it seems like there is something new and different to see. If you're going to be in the area for more than a few minutes, you might want to go to the office and introduce yourself. Also, be mindful that Depot Street carries a surprising amount of traffic, so be careful.
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Star -- Junction. Go back up Depot Street, take a right, and go over the overpass. Pass Owens Street on the right, cross the yard lead at grade, and park to the right in the large, open truck parking area. Do not get in the way of the trucks, as this is an active area.
The shot here is simply to catch arriving trains from east or south, and vice versa. The biggest problem will be the clutter of the cars and trucks on the road.
Star -- Butane Operation. North of the junction, you will almost certainly see some tank cars. These cars are full of butane, and are gathered during warm months. As the temps turn colder, they are unloaded into butane gas trucks, which deliver over a relatively large area. The individual tank cars then go down to Aberdeen for return to the lessor. This is a most interesting operation, and you'll want to watch it in action. Photos must be taken from the east side of US-220A, as the material is potentially dangerous, and the folks working there certainly do not want railfans in the area.
Star -- End of Track. This location really isn't a fan location at all, but if you're a combat railfan and want to brag that you've done it, here is how to get to the end of the tracks to the north. Head further north on US-220Alternate, to a turn onto McBride Lumber Road. You'll probably see tank cars all along the way. Right after you've made the left onto McBride, you'll see a large church on the left. Continue to Freeman Road, take a left, and find a place to park before going over what used to be a crossing. Notice that the rails are still there, but so overgrown you have to know they're there.
Walk back along the west margin of the church's property.You'll usually see the end of the butane cars, and within a few feet of the end of the last car, the in-use trackage abruptly ends. So does our tour.