15 July 2010 Lots of Charleston railroad photos here as well other SC places on this link. Move around through the menu and then type in SAL, ACL, SOU, Amtrack - they keep coming up. CHARLESTON, SC RAILROADS - Flickr: Search Larry @ SCRS
Thanks Larry. Very interesting but to me, also sad. I see that "ReelLady" has quite a few photos of the Southern coal pier, which if I remember correctly was the only marine coal pier on the Southern System which, with Southern serving every major southeast port from Jacksonville to Norfolk, was quite something. Seem to remember reading somwhere that Southern handled up to 10,000 cars a year through that facility, I'll have to try and find that article. Spent many a late summer day adjacent to that pier fishing for blue fish. Seeing that water boil when the blues got into a school of bait fish was a sight not to be forgotten, nor the sight of blues with their bellies full of fish and fish sticking out of their mouth still trying to stuff my bait in there.
Hello Gentlemen: I just found this thread, and have enjoyed reading it all! There is a ton of information here about the Charleston area. Growing up in Aiken, my knowledge has been more Southern related. For the past seven years, I have been researching the railroads of South Carolina and have taken the research and created a website, that covers from the Best Friend to the present, class 1's, industrial, logging, interurban, and military. The website contains photo, maps, timetable, rosters, and much more, and I still have lots more work to do. South Carolina Railroads from 1827 to the present My knowledge of the Charleston area is little, and this thread has improved it greatly. I need to read through all of this information again, and would like to ask some questions in the next couple of days. On the Charleston page, there is an article with photos from the Southern Railway 1947 Ties magazine on the coal pier. Railroads of Charleston Thanks again Tom
07 August 2010 Good afternoon Tom. Bring on your questions. We will try and answer them. Many years ago, I passed through Morgan Hill. via the Overnight Lark northbound and driving down from Oregon to LA. Of course both time - I was in te travel mode. So you did a lot of growing up in Aiken. I made a number of pictures (35 MM) there, mostly of the rail line and where the down grade started toward Augusta. - they should still be around somewhere. Larry @ SCRS Mauldin (Greenville, County), South Carolina.
Tom - Visited your website, very nicely done. Will second Larry on his sentiments. His knowledge of the 1940's-50's from North Charleston (the focal point of local railroading) has been invaluable history for me. So go ahead with the questions, someone who has taken part in this thread will probably have an answer for you.
MTH SEABOARD F-3 UNITS SEO Info 21 October 2010 These are the new MTH Premier Seaboard Air Line F-3 A-B-A units. A seperate B unit is also available (click on thumbnails and see page 120). These will probably be rolling on the SCRS tracks. In the same catalog is a SAL GP-7, a ACL GP-35 and other good items. On a long possibility, these also may be on the SCRS. Larry @ SCRS
Larry - Had some trouble accessing the MTH catalog but it's certainly good news to hear that southeastern roads are getting attention in "King" gauge. You of course know that the SAL never had any F-3 B units so those funds can go to the SAL GP-7 or the ACL GP-35. Finally saw MTH's Centipede in O scale and it is one BIG unit. Think I'll have to stick with HO tho' - for that I've got the room and budget. Last night saw the installation of benchwork for the clubs' stub-end passenger terminal in its' proper position and tie-in of a salvaged piece from the old North Charleston layout. Unfortunately power over the entire layout was out while this was going on so I didn't get to run my two SAL GP-9's and an F-3. I'm becoming more and more impressed with the clubs' DCC system and am thinking about converting the home layout to the same system. Great thing about their system is that you cab run non-DCC power at the same time (tho' only one set). Believe that in the past I've mentioned the web site "Abandoned Rails" well this week I did kind of a reprise on one of my previous postings on the Croghans branch and the site keeper was kind enough to post same. Buddy Hill - if you read this he was also asking about the Meggett area farm branches for which I gave him my limited knowledge but I believe you might have a lot more information on same than I do.
Dave - Thanks for the heads-up regarding the abandoned rails. I'll try to forward additional information after the Yonges Island branchline article is completed and submitted to the ACL&SAL HS LinesSouth magazine for publishing. Unfortunately, I have limited free time these days with the job and the Ravenel Depot repairs/restoration. Hoping I can knock out the article by Christmas. Do not recall if this was mentioned in a previous post but for anyone who enjoys Civil War and railroad corporate histories, take a look at the book Vital Rails. The book details the formation of the C&S railroad and its operation during the war. Lots of references to local battles, place names, etc.
MTH SEABOARD GP-7'S 30 OCTOBER 2010 Good morning all. Dave. MTH's SAL GP-7's are sharp and I have really been considering them. The paint and details are correct and would be a good freight engine. These are issued in the Railking line (from the former Premier Line molds) and are 1/4 " scale, however... . MTH is issuing only one (1) powered unit and I would like to have three of the powered units and do not want to have duplicate cab numbers (MTH is issuing a non-powered unit with a different cab number). I have been considering ordering three of the powered units and replacing the cab numbers on two of them. This I may still do. I remember seeing those Seaboard Geeps pulling those long freights along Spruill Avenue in Charleston Height’s (now N. Chas.) and would like to have them on the SCRS. I also like those F-3 units. Budget problems prevent purchasing both and then there are those ACL GP-35’s… . Oh well... Larry @ SCRS. .
Good afternoon - Ah yeah, those budgetary woes! The absolute bane of my existence. I do wish that the manufacurers would produce dummy units. It was no big problem to add lights to the dummies so that they could reasonably lead a train. Perhaps you could ask MTH if they're going to produce any shells for seperate sale? I had the same problem with the Centipedes. At first it was only going to be one, then the "attitude" kicked in - life is short! I really only have three identifiable addictions and modelling the Seaboard is in the top three. The same will probably kick in with the InterMountain FT A&B's. Of course, 4 numbers each for SAL and SOU. Well at least two for SAL and I do love that Southern tuxedo scheme. So the plotting and conniving begin. It coulda been worse - what would I do if they offered ACL's black & yellow also?
MTH'S SAL F-3'S AND GP-7. It was hard to make a decision and expensive when I did. I pre-ordered both the single unit, powered GP-7 unit and the F-3 A-B-A units - as well as the additional F-3 B unit. The F-3 A-B-B-A's I will use for pulling those long freights and the GP-7 as a switcher. They should be rolling toward the SCRS about March 2011. Any ACL units to be purchased will have to wait. I am currently considering sliding out of work (some call it retiring) next July and maybe this time it will take (two previous tries). Here again is the location to look at the GP-7 and F-3's. SEO Info pages 20 and 119. Larry at SCRS.
Glad to hear that the SCRS is getting some new freight power, and Seaboard at that. You're right that the cost of locomotives is getting to be somewhat of a strain on the hobby budget but when one can recreate memories from 40 - 50 years ago, a lot of the pain disappears. A new, entirely new, strain on my budget will be fitting some 60 odd engines to DCC, then of course there's the price of the power supply itself. This on top of my last (still incomplete) project of installing metal wheels and weigth just a hair over the NMRA standards on rolling stock. I can see that for the next two years or so I'm going to in effect have two groups of motive power - one for the club and one for home. To return to the prime subject of this thread, I wonder if any one remembers when the church on Arlington Drive (Oakland) burned down in the late 1950's and the ACL put in a temporary siding and two passenger coaches for the congregation to meet in until they built a new church? This last was called to my mind by two earlier threads on Trainboard about churches on layouts. Be willing to bet that those were the first coaches on the Croghans branch in 40 some years, and the last. And Larry, give that retirement thing a real whirl this time. I did in June 2003 and have enjoyed every minute of it. At first it was just to make up for my truncated teenage years, now the rest is just gravy.
Croghans Branch / Charleston Greenway If anyone is interested the Croghans Branch after abadonment was converted into the Charleston Greenway. If you enter Charleston Greenway into your computer you'll find quite a few short video clips of the Branch as it is now. Too bad we don't have videos of a couple of geeps (personally I'll take either purple and silver or black with yellow) crawling down that branch with a handful of freight cars and one of ACL's typical cabooses. The 1950's-1950's time frame would be just about right.
I have not had time to read all of the threads in this post, but do enjoy what I've read so far. I have spent a little time in Charleston and have enjoyed railfanning there when I've had the chance. It is great to read the various accounts of how things "used to be" :smile:
CHARLESTON UNION STATION AND AREA TRACK LAYOUT 23 Feb 2011 Here is a link to the rail trackage of the Charleston Union Station. the Cooper Yards, the SAL wye, East Bay Street and the general area - in the year of 1934. They were very much in the same location up until 1952. Print, enlarge and really enjoy. ACL Charleston Terminal, 1934, Sheet 1 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! Larry @ SCRS
Larry - Thanks for that link. Looking at that map I'd say that a lot of that trackage remained just about the same until at least the early/mid- 1960's. And, looking at a period map brings back memories of the way Charleston,its' people, and businesses were. Too bad we're now just another SMSA - what, number 247 or 248.
JOHNS ISLAND - Croghans Branch 4 MARCH 2011 Here is a link to a photo of the John's Island station with a geep and train sitting on the Croghans Branch rails with the ACL main line in the background. http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/acl/acl175dsa.jpg Larry @ SCRS
That photo does bring back memories. It appears as tho' X175South might be involved in a 3-way pass/meet as I described in one of my earlier posts. From the light I know it's a west-bound (south by timetable) train. Also noticeable just above the extra flag on the unit is one of the Washingtonia (I think) Palms that I think were planted by every agent operator from Johns Island south to the Savannah river.
CHARLESTON RAIL TRACKAGE - PRE 1957 16 March 2011 Here is a good aerial site link for looking down on Charleston, South Carolina in the year of 1957, when the SAL’s Ashley River Bridge and SAL’s cross town rails were in place, as well as the Union Station trackage and Wye, the Southern and Atlantic Coast Line’s trackage, plus many other railroad sites - like the SY tower. This is pre-I-26 as the houses on Ranger Drive in Waylyn are still there. At the top left corner, type in Charleston, SC, then have fun. The zoom in buttons are located on the bottom right corner of the picture. Plan on a couple of hours of viewing. Larry @ SCRS NETR Online Historic Aerials
Larry - Thanks for the link. I've been trying to collect pre-1967 maps for Charleston (showing the railroads, of course) but not having a lot of luck. At least not for less than the cost of an Atlas/Genesis/etc. model locomotive. And, they ain't that large. Anyway, it's fun to look over those old maps and see what this area has lost (most call it a gain) in the past half-century plus. Tain't many vestiges of the old Charleston left. Yeah, they've got the old restored houses (where there isn't college/hospitals/medical university). The small businesses, grocery stores, bars, etc. that made this city unique for so long are gone, gone. gone. Gone also, are the people who made this city unique, black and white. And replaced by? What I call the Y2 crowd - the money of Croessus, the souls of nits. And railroads? I thought we had lost a lot, both in town and in the exurbs - compare it by maps - rail lines have been massacred in this county! And, worst of all - West of the Ashley. Sure am glad that I grew up when rail mileage in this country was at its' highest.
