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The Aberdeen, Carolina &
Western Railway Co.
relevant information
locomotive roster
route map (coming soon)
notes
102 Depot St., P.O. Box 586
Star, NC 27356
Reporting marks: ACWR
Radio frequencies: 160.680,
461.450, 466.540
Location of engine house: Star,
North Carolina
Phone (910) 944-3165
Fax: (910) 944-3174
Web site: Aberdeen,
Carolina & Western
The AC&W operates freight service from a connection with CSX at Aberdeen, North Carolina to Star, North Carolina, 34.46 miles. Rail is 70 to 85 pound. A virtual connection is also made at Aberdeen with the Aberdeen & Rockfish, although no interchange to speak of takes place between the two railroads. The company has leased and operated Norfolk Southern's Charlotte-Star-Gulf line, 104 miles, since 1989. This line connects at Charlotte and Gulf with Norfolk Southern and at Norwood with Winston-Salem Southbound. Rail is 85 to 110 pound. Total miles operated is 104 making it the largest shortline in the Carolinas in these terms.
Traffic is around 11,000 cars a year and includes grain, wood chips, brick, lumber, pulpwood, latex, limestone and LP gas. Principal shippers are: Mountaire Farms and Perdue Farms near Candor -- producers of feed for poultry; Jordan Lumber Co. of Mount Gilead -- producer of wood chips for the pulp and paper industry; Banks Lumber of Stanfield -- lumber distributor; and Ferrell Gas of Aberdeen -- propane-gas distribution. The line serves businesses in Montgomery, Moore, Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Chatham, and Stanly counties.
The Aberdeen-Star line was built as a private logging line in the 1880s. It was reorganized in 1893 as the Aberdeen & West End Railroad, then became part of the Aberdeen & Asheboro Railroad in 1897. In 1914, the A&A was aquired by the Raleigh, Charlotte & Southern. That road was later merged into the original (read: shortline) Norfolk Southern, which was renamed the Carolina & Northwestern in 1982.
C&NW sold the line to the Aberdeen & Briar Patch on August 1, 1983 following their decision to abandon the line. The Aberdeen, Carolina & Western purchased the assets of the A&BP and began operations on June 19, 1987. The company leased the Norfolk Southern Charlotte line on May 1, 1989. The company is owned by Robert Menzies.
Note: The pictures below are linked to open in a new window. Be aware that some of the links will take you off site. Keep this window open as a guide. I hope you enjoy the roster of a shortline that keeps on changing.
A Current Roster of the Aberdeen, Carolina & Western
| # | Model | New | Notes |
| 703 | GP40-2W | ex-Tri-Rail, ex-Go Transit, leased from TBRX (Taylor Rail Group), in white and teal (?) paint | |
| 1601 | EMD GP16 | 9/61 | ex-Seaboard Airline 1925, ex-Seaboard Coast Line 1024, ex-Seaboard System 4645, ACW 1745, painted in a "stealth" ACWR scheme |
| 1721 | EMD GP16 | 9/60 | ex-Seaboard Airline 408, ex-Seaboard Coastline 1064, ex-Seaboard System 4621, plans are to renumber her to 1600 eventually, presently in faded SBD paint |
| 2077 | EMD GP38 | 11/67 | ex-Chesapeake & Ohio 3877, (C&O scheme) ex-CSX 2077, in standard ACWR colors, in faded Chessie System paint complete with the cat, plans are to repaint her into standard ACWR garb and renumber her ACWR 3801 |
| 3802 | EMD GP38 | 11/67 | ex-Baltimore & Ohio 3846, ex-CSX 2046, in standard ACWR colors |
| 3803 | EMD GP38 | 12/67 | ex-Chesapeake & 0hio 3897, ex-CSX 2097, in standard ACWR colors |
| 4444 | EMD GP9 | 1956 | leased fromTBRX, originally owned by GT (NEL) but transferred to CV in July 1963, later Grand Trunk Western, stored unserviceable late 1996, retired 1998, sold to Western Railroad Dismantlers, Bliss ID, repainted blue with white stripes at CLN Capreol, 1999 complete with reporting marks TBRX, derailed (flipped on its side) w/4446 near Emporia PA while in transit to NS/AC&W interchange at Charlotte, NC |
| 4446 | EMD GP9 | 1956 | leased from TBRX, originally owned by GT (NEL) but transferred to CV in July 1963, later Grand Trunk Western, retired 1998, sold to Western Railroad Dismantlers, Bliss ID, repainted blue with white stripes at CLN Capreol, 1999 complete with reporting marks TBRX, derailed (flipped on its side) w/4444 near Emporia PA while in transit to NS/AC&W interchange at Charlotte, NC |
| 9538 | GMD
GP40-2LW |
1975 | ex-Canadian National, leased from TBRX, in CN colors, is off line presently being overhauled |
| 9556 | GMD
GP40-2LW |
1975 | ex-Canadian National, leased from TBRX, in CN colors |
| 9582 | GMD
GP40-2LW |
1975 | ex-Canadian National, leased from TBRX, in CN colors |
| # | Model | New | Notes |
| 18 | EMD GP18 | Louisville & Nashville 460, 900, Seaboard 1066, CSX 1066, to ACWR 1066, then renumbered 18 | |
| 71 | EMD GP7 | 11/50 | Bangor and Aroostook 71, ACWR 71, possibly renumbered 700 |
| 896 | EMD GP7 | 5/50 | Seaboard Air Line 1716, Aberdeen & Briar Patch 896, was to have been renumbered ACWR 701 |
| 900 | EMD GP9 | 11/56 | Chesapeake & Ohio 6185, CSX 6185, ACW 6185 |
| 1132 | EMD SW7 | 1/50 | New Orleans & North Eastern 6863, AGS 6863, Southern 1132 |
| 1500 | EMD SW1500 | Richburg, Frederickson & Potomac 91, CSX 1315, to ACW 1500, to Conrail Leasing, to Morristown & Erie 20, sublettered Bayshore Terminal, later stenciled Ben Friedman for M&E's late president | |
| 2010 | EMD GP38 | 10/67 | Baltimore & Ohio 3810, CSX 2110, was once to be renumbered to AWCR #3800, but now rests in a state of disrepair in Star. |
Other on-line sources for this roster
include, but are not limited to:
GTW
GP9 Family
Motive
Power Rosters
Taylor
Rail Group, Inc.
650 North Church Avenue
Louisville, Mississippi 39339
662-773-3421
601-335-6600
FAX 662-773-9143
AC&W
Gallery: Page 1
AC&W
Gallery: Page 2
Shortlines
of the Carolinas
Carolina
Shortline Railway Guide
Carolina
Rails
Joseph
C. Hinson
ICQ#
20186233
