Main Line (Seaboard Air Line Railroad)

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Main Line
Overview
Other name(s)S-Line
StatusSome segments are still operating
OwnerSeaboard Air Line Railroad (1900-1967)
Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (1967-1982)
Seaboard System Railroad (1982-1986)
CSX Transportation (1986-present)
Termini
Technical
Line length845 mi (1,360 km)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
ElectrificationNo
SignallingCentralized traffic control
Route map

The SAL Main Line (blue) in relation to the ACL Main Line (red). Dashed lines represent where the line has been abandoned.

The Seaboard Air Line Railroad’s Main Line was the backbone of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad's network in the southeastern United States. The main line ran from Richmond, Virginia to Tampa, Florida, a distance of over 800 miles. Along its route it passed through Petersburg, Raleigh, Columbia, Savannah, Jacksonville, and Ocala, Florida. While some segments of the line have been abandoned as of 2023, most of the line is still in service and is owned by the Seaboard Air Line's successor, CSX Transportation as their S-Line.

History[edit]

By the time the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (known as the Seaboard Air Line Railway before 1946) was officially created, track that would make up its main line had already been built by the company's predecessors.[1] The main line was built in the late 1800s by the following companies:

By 1900, the Seaboard Air Line Railway was incorporated, which brought together the predecessor companies together and created the main line north of Camden, South Carolina. At this time, the company had leased the Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad (FC&P) network which expanded the system through Georgia and Florida. The Seaboard Air Line would fully not own the FC&P network until 1903.

Seaboard Air Line network in 1950

The Seaboard Air Line would run many historic passenger services over its main line, many of which ran from New York to Florida. Some of the Seaboard's passenger trains included the Florida and Metropolitan Limited, Atlanta Special, Suwanee River Special, Orange Blossom Special, Southern States Special, Cotton Blossom, Palmland, Silver Meteor, Silver Comet, Silver Star, Sunland, and Tidewater.[2][3][4]

Seaboard also had a number of fast, high-priority freight trains called Red Ball freights between various points on its system.[5] However, from 1918 to 1966, a number of through freight trains instead ran the Andrews and Charleston Subdivisions between Hamlet, North Carolina and Savannah, Georgia to allow passenger trains to be prioritized on the main line.[6]

The Seaboard Air Line installed Centralized traffic control along the main line in the 1940s to improve efficiency.[7] The Seaboard Air Line would also be the first railroad to install a talking hot box detector (the predecessor to the modern defect detector). This first talking hot box detector was installed on the main line in Riceboro, Georgia.[6]

In 1967, the Seaboard Air Line merged with their long-time rival, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL). The ACL also had a main line running from Richmond, Virginia to Tampa, Florida that was roughly parallel to the SAL’s main line.[8] The two main lines crossed each other in Chester, Savannah, Jacksonville, and Plant City. After the merger was complete, the company was named the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL), who largely retained both main lines in the combined network.[9] To differentiate the two main lines, the Seaboard Coast Line designated the SAL’s main line as the S-Line and the ACL’s main line as the A-Line. The letter S was added as a prefix to the mileposts on the S-Line (S was also added to the beginning of the pre-existing letter prefixes on the SAL’s branch lines).

In 1980, the Seaboard Coast Line's parent company, Seaboard Coast Line Industries (SCLI), merged with the Chessie System, creating CSX Corporation. CSX Corporation initially operated the Chessie and SCLI Systems separately, however in 1982 they began the process of consolidating the railroads of both holding companies. This began with the formation of the Seaboard System Railroad, which merged all of the railroads owned by SCLI into one. In 1986, Seaboard System renamed themselves CSX Transportation (CSXT), and by August 1987, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway -the final remaining railroad under the Chessie System brand- was merged into CSXT.[8]

Current conditions[edit]

As of 2023, much of the line is still in service, though it has been abandoned in some places.

At the north end, CSX still operates the line from Richmond to just north of Chester, which is now CSX's Bellwood Subdivision. The short segment of the S-Line from Centralia (just north of Chester, Virginia) to Collier Yard (just south of Petersburg, Virginia) was abandoned by the Seaboard Coast Line shortly after the 1967 merger. The remaining track was connected to the A-Line in an effort to consolidate the two lines on to the A-Line though Petersburg. Some of the supports that once held the S-Line's bridge over the Appomattox River are still standing on the northwest side of Petersburg.[10]

CSX abandoned the S-Line from Collier Yard to Norlina, North Carolina in 1987. CSX sold the right of way to the states of Virginia and North Carolina in 2019. The states are doing preliminary work to rebuild the line for high-speed passenger service as part of the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor.[11] Virginia has since bought its portion of the line, and, as December 2023, North Carolina is negotiating a deal to buy the portion in their state.[12]

The S-Line is still in service from Norlina, North Carolina to Savannah, Georgia. This segment is now CSX's Norlina Subdivision, Aberdeen Subdivision, Hamlet Subdivision, Columbia Subdivision, and Savannah Subdivision.[13] Amtrak still operates on this segment from Raleigh to Savannah. This is the only segment of the S-Line that still carries regular passenger service.

From Savannah to the Ogeechee River in Richmond Hill, Georgia, the line was abandoned and consolidated with the A-Line shortly after the 1967 merger. Though, the original S-Line bridge over the Ogeechee River remained with its tracks removed next to the A-Line bridge until 2019.[14]

The S-Line was severed as a through route between Savannah and Jacksonville in 1986 when track was abandoned between Riceboro and Bladen, Georgia. Additional track was abandoned between Bladen and Seals, Georgia four years later.[15] The shortline Riceboro Southern Railway now operates from Richmond Hill to Riceboro, and the First Coast Railroad operates from Seals, Georgia to Yulee, Florida. Both the First Coast Railroad and the Riceboro Southern Railway took over their respective sections of the S-Line in the mid 2000s and are both owned by Genesee & Wyoming. South of Yulee to Panama Park near Jacksonville is now CSX's Kingsland Subdivision. The S-Line Urban Greenway is now on the former right of way in northeast Jacksonville.

The S-Line in Florida is CSX's primary freight route through the peninsula. From Jacksonville to Baldwin, the S-Line run through CSX's Jacksonville Terminal Subdivision and runs on the Wildwood Subdivision from Baldwin to Owensboro. A short section of the S-Line from Owensboro to Zephyrhills via Dade City was abandoned by the Seaboard Coast Line shortly after the 1967 merger in favor of the ex-ACL line which circumnavigated the towns instead of going right through them. The Hardy Trail was built on some of the former right of way near Dade City in 2019.[16][17] From Zephyrhills to Gary in Tampa is now CSX's Yeoman Subdivision and part of the Tampa Terminal Subdivision. The S-Line has been abandoned beyond Gary, which has severed the line from Tampa Union Station.[18]

Historic Stations[edit]

State Milepost[19] City/Location Station[20][21] Image Connections and notes
VA SRN 3.9 Richmond Hermitage junction with Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad
SRN 0.0
S 0.0 		Main Street Station Amtrak Northeast Regional
originally opened in 1901
closed in 1950s with service relocated to Broad Street Station
reopened in 2003
junction at Triple Crossing with:
S 0.7 Manchester junction with Richmond and Danville Railroad (SOU)
S 8.6 Bellwood Bellwood junction with Hopewell Subdivision
S 13.0 Chester Chester junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Main Line
S 18.7 Lynch
S 22.9 Petersburg Petersburg
S 27.5 Ryan
S 31.1 Burgess Burgess
S 37.5 Dinwiddie Dinwiddie
S 41.8 DeWitt DeWitt
S 47.6 McKenney McKenney
S 52.2 Rawlings Rawlings
S 57.1 Warfield Warfield
S 61.1 Alberta Alberta junction with Virginian Railway (N&W)
S 63.9 Cochran Cochran
S 67.8 Grandy Grandy
S 74.0 Skelton
S 79.0 La Crosse La Crosse junction with Atlantic and Danville Railway (N&W)
S 83.7 Hagood
S 86.4 Bracey
NC S 91.0 Paschall
S 94.9 Wise Wise
S 98.4 Norlina Norlina originally Ridgeway Junction
junction with Portsmouth Subdivision
S 106.5 Middleburg Middleburg
S 109.8 Greystone
S 113.8 Henderson Henderson junction with:
S 118.3 Gill
S 121.8 Kittrell Kittrell
S 130.3 Franklinton Franklinton junction with Louisburg Subdivision
S 136.5 Youngsville Youngsville
S 140.5 Wake Forest Wake Forest
S 154.8 Raleigh Edgeton
S 156.1 Raleigh junction with:
S 160.2 Meredith College
S 160.5 Method
S 168.3 Cary Cary Amtrak Silver Star, Carolinian, and Piedmont
station rebuilt in 1996
junction with North Carolina Railroad (SOU)
S 171.1 Apex Apex junction with Durham and Southern Railway
S 177.3 New Hill New Hill
S 179.8 Bonsal Bonsal junction with Durham and South Carolina Railroad (SOU)
S 181.1 Merry Oaks
S 187.3 Moncure Moncure junction with Pittsboro Subdivision
S 195.1 Colon Colon junction with Raleigh and Western Railway (SOU)
S 198.9 Sanford Sanford junction with:
S 205.6 Lemon Springs Lemon Springs
S 211.1 Cameron Cameron
S 216.6 Vass Vass also known as Winder
S 219.9 Fleet
S 225.0 Southern Pines Southern Pines Amtrak Silver Star
S 228.7 Aberdeen Aberdeen junction with:
S 238.2 Mackall
S 239.4 Hoffman Hoffman
S 253.4 Hamlet Hamlet Amtrak Silver Star
station rebuilt in 1900
junction with:
S 260.8 Osborne
SC S 269.3 Wallace Wallace
S 271.8 Cheraw Cheraw junction with:
S 279.8 Gillespie
S 284.9 Patrick Patrick station rebuilt in 1900
S 292.0 Middendorf
S 299.3 McBee McBee junction with Hartsville Subdivision
S 307.0 Bethune Bethune
S 312.6 Cassatt Cassatt
S 319.5 Shepard
S 326.5 Camden Camden Amtrak Silver Star
S 330.7 Lugoff Lugoff
S 339.0 Blaney later known as Elgin
S 349.4 Weddell
S 358.4 Elmwood
S 360.7 Columbia Columbia Amtrak Silver Star
rebuilt in 1903 and 1991
junction with:
S 362.5 Cayce Cayce
S 366.5 Dixiana
S 371.6 Gaston Gaston
S 381.0 Swansea Swansea
S 385.6 Woodford Woodford
S 393.7 Livingston Livingston
S 402.0 Norway Norway
S 414.1 Denmark Denmark Amtrak Silver Star
junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Florence—Robbins Line
S 417.7 Govan Govan
S 426.2 Ulmer Ulmer
S 436.0 Fairfax Fairfax junction with Charleston & Western Carolina Railway (ACL)
S 442.8 Gifford Gifford
S 450.5 Estill Estill
S 460.2 Garnett Garnett
GA S 469.0 Clyo Clyo
S 478.8 Stillwell
S 481.2 Rincon Rincon
S 490.1 Meinhard
S 497.3 Savannah Central Junction junction with:
S 501.8 Savannah Union Station accessed via a spur track
S 512.4 Burroughs junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Main Line
S 515.6 Richmond Hill Richmond Hill
S 522.1 Limerick Limerick
S 527.2 Midway Dorchester also known as Dorchester
S 529.1 Riceboro Riceboro
S 537.1 Jones
S 540.1 Warsaw Warsaw
S 544.1 Townsend Townsend
S 550.4 Cox
S 556.8 Everett Everett junction with Macon and Brunswick Railroad (SOU)
S 564.4 Thalmann junction with Brunswick and Birmingham Railroad (AB&C/ACL)
S 568.4 Bladen Bladen junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Waycross—Brunswick Line
S 573.8 Hayner
S 578.3 Waverly Waverly
S 582.6 White Oak White Oak
S 587.7 Woodbine Woodbine
S 593.4 Seals Seals
S 598.9 Kingsland Kingsland junction with St. Mary's Railroad
FL S 605.4 Gross Gross junction with Gross Subdivision
S 613.5 Yulee Yulee junction with Fernandina Subdivision
S 619.1 Tisonia
S 625.0 Jacksonville Eastport junction with Dames Point Spur
SO 630.1 Dames Point located on Dames Point Spur
served Port of Jacksonville facilities on Dames Point and Blount Island
S 629.5 Panama Park junction with Jacksonville and Southwestern Railroad (ACL)
S 638.0 Jacksonville Union Terminal junction with:
SP 641.6 Marietta
S 652.5 Baldwin Baldwin junction with Tallahassee Subdivision & Gross Subdivision
S 659.0 Maxville
S 669.3 Lawtey Lawtey
S 678.4 Starke Starke
S 679.1 Wannee Junction junction with Wannee Subdivision
S 680.1 Newnan
S 684.6 Hampton Hampton junction with Georgia Southern and Florida Railway (SOU)
S 690.0 Waldo Waldo junction with Brooksville Subdivision
S 696.6 Orange Heights Orange Heights
S 703.3 Hawthorne Hawthorne junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Palatka Branch
S 712.3 Lochloosa Lochloosa
S 714.5 Island Grove Island Grove
S 716.9 Citra Citra
S 722.4 Sparr Sparr
S 725.8 Anthony Anthony
S 731.5 Ocala Silver Springs Junction junction with Ocklawaha Valley Railroad
S 735.3 Ocala Union Station junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad High Springs—Croom Line
S 743.5 Santos
S 747.1 Belleview Belleview
S 752.0 Summerfield Summerfield
S 756.8 Oxford Oxford
S 761.5 Wildwood Wildwood junction with Orlando Subdivision
S 766.1 Coleman Coleman junction with Miami Subdivision
S 770.4 Lake Panasoffkee Lake Panasoffkee
S 771.0 Ekal also known as Sumterville Junction
S 775.1 Bushnell Bushnell
S 778.9 St. Catherine St. Catherine junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad High Springs—Croom Line
S 783.2 Rerdell
S 791.2 Lacoochee Lacoochee junction with Orange Belt Railway (ACL)
S 791.9 Owensboro Owensboro junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad High Springs—Lakeland Line
S 797.9 Dade City Dade City
S 808.0 Zephyrhills Zephyrhills junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Vitis–Tampa Line
S 811.4 Crystal Springs Crystal Springs
S 818.5 Knights Knights
Plant City Sandler Junction junction with Plant City Subdivision
S 823.1 Plant City Union Depot junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Main Line
S 818.5 Lake Wales Junction junction with Fort Myers Subdivision
S 827.4 Turkey Creek Turkey Creek junction with Sarasota Subdivision
S 829.5 Sydney Sydney
S 832.5 Valrico Valrico junction with Valrico Subdivision
S 834.8 Brandon Brandon
S 840.9 Tampa Yeoman
S 843.5 Gary junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Tampa Subdivision
S 844.9 Tampa Union Station replaced original station located at Franklin and Whiting Streets
S 846.0 Seddon Island Terminal Freight terminal built in 1909

References[edit]

  1. ^ Schafer, Mike (2003). Classic American Railroads, Volume III. Saint Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing. pp. 9–17. ISBN 978-0-7603-1649-8.
  2. ^ Seaboard Air Line June 15, 1948 timetable, Table 11
  3. ^ Seaboard Air Line December 15, 1955 timetable, Tables 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
  4. ^ Seaboard condensed timetable, April 25, 1954 http://streamlinermemories.info/South/SAL54TT.pdf
  5. ^ Prince, Richard E. (2000) [1966]. Seaboard Air Line Railway: Steam Boats, Locomotives, and History. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0-253-33695-8.
  6. ^ a b "The Charleston Subdivision". Abandoned Rails. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  7. ^ Goolsby, Larry (12 March 2021). "Remembering the Seaboard Air Line Railroad". Classic Trains. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  8. ^ a b Turner, Gregg (2003). A Short History of Florida Railroads. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-2421-4.
  9. ^ Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Jacksonville Division and Tampa Division Timetable (1977)
  10. ^ "Rails in Virginia: Seaboard Air Line - The "S-Line"". Train Orders. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  11. ^ Wilson, Bill (26 December 2019). "North Carolina looks to benefit from Virginia/CSX deal via high-speed rail". Railway Track and Structures. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  12. ^ WLOS Staff (8 December 2023). "Buttigieg, Cooper tout North Carolina's $1.09 billion grant for S-Line rail project". WLOS. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  13. ^ CSX Florence Division Timetable
  14. ^ "SAL - Ogeechee River Bridge". Bridge Hunter. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  15. ^ "The Everett Subdivision". Abandoned Rails. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  16. ^ New Park Meant to Draw Visitors to Dade City, Downtown (BayNew9; October 24, 2019)
  17. ^ Dade City seeks tourist-friendly bike hub in its downtown core," by C.T. Bowen (Tampa Bay Times; November 18, 2019)
  18. ^ CSX Jacksonville Division Timetable
  19. ^ Seaboard Air Line Railroad Virginia Division Timetable (1955)
  20. ^ "Virginia Railroads: Passenger Stations & Stops" (PDF). Jim Fergusson's Railway and Tramway Station Lists (Virginia). Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  21. ^ "North Carolina Railroads: Passenger Stations & Stops" (PDF). Jim Fergusson's Railway and Tramway Station Lists (North Carolina). Retrieved 4 November 2020.
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