Durham and Northern Railway

The Durham and Northern Railway was a railroad that historically ran from Henderson, North Carolina to Durham, North Carolina. The line became part of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad and operated as the company's Durham Subdivision and it also had a short branch from Dickerson to Oxford.

Durham and Northern Railway
Overview
LocaleNorth Carolina
Dates of operation1887–1901
SuccessorSeaboard Air Line Railroad
Seaboard Coast Line Railroad
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

History edit

The Durham and Northern Railway was first organized as the Durham & Northern Railway Company on August 29, 1887, by the State of State of North Carolina. The line came under the ownership of the Raleigh and Gaston Railroad, which the Durham and Northern Railway connected with in Henderson. The cities of Henderson and Durham jointly financed the construction of the line.[1]

The Raleigh and Gaston Railroad was absorbed into the Seaboard Air Line Railway in 1900, and the Durham and Northern was fully merged into the company in 1901. The Seaboard designated the line as their Durham Subdivision and in 1902, they built a short 4-mile branch from Dickerson to Oxford.[2][1]

The line was used for passenger service in its early days, but by 1955, it was freight only with one local freight train running six days a week.[2]

In 1967, the SAL merged with its rival, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL). The merged company was named the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL). The Seaboard Coast Line continued to operate the Durham Subdivision but it was subsequently abandoned by 1975.[3][4]

Historic stations edit

Milepost City/Location Station[2] Connections and notes
SB 113.8 Henderson Henderson junction with Main Line
SB 124.1 Dickerson
SBA 128.5 Oxford Oxford located on Oxford Spur
SB 130.8 Tar River
SB 138.1 Creedmoor Creedmoor
SB 142.6 North Side
SB 155.4 Durham Durham junction with:

References edit

  1. ^ a b "North Carolina Railroads - Durham & Northern Railway". Carolana.com. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Seaboard Air Line Railroad Virginia Division Timetable (1955)
  3. ^ Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Raleigh Division Timetable (1972)
  4. ^ Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Rocky Mount and Raleigh Division Timetable (1975)