Winston-Salem Southbound Railway
Encyclopedia
The Winston-Salem Southbound Railway is a 90 miles (144.8 km) short-line railroad jointly owned by CSX Transportation
and the Norfolk Southern Railway
(NS), which provide it with equipment. It connects with NS at the north end in Winston-Salem, CSX at the south end in Wadesboro, and in between with NS at Lexington and Whitney, the subsidiary High Point, Thomasville and Denton Railroad
at High Rock, and the Aberdeen, Carolina and Western Railway
at Norwood. Originally owned jointly by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
and Norfolk and Western Railway
, predecessors to CSX and NS, it was completed in November 1910.
In June 1960 the WSS acquired full control of the connecting High Point, Thomasville and Denton Railroad
, which is similarly operated with equipment from both owners.
Commodities carried by the railroad are grain, sand, gravel, stone, forest products, paper products, coal, coke, cement, clay fertilizer, aluminum, chemicals, iron, and steel. Principal shippers are Corn Products Company of Winston-Salem, a manufacturer of corn syrup and related products, and Owens Brockway Glass Company of Eller, a manufacturer of glass products.
On April 16, 2010, notice was published of the intent to merge the High Point, Thomasville, and Denton Railroad into the Winston-Salem Southbound Railway, effective May 1, 2010.
diesels arrived, priced at about $190,000 each. With diesels in full command, the handmaidens of steam engines, the water tanks and coaling stations would soon fall, as did the dark smudges of coal smoke. The 4 GP9s that were purchased were from N&W and ACL, the two companies that owned the WSS. They were re-painted into two different paint schemes and served from the 1950s to the late 1960s, when the WSS, realizing it wasn't cost-effective to maintain servicing facilities, sent the GP9s back to their respective owners and started to lease equipment from the ACL and N&W. To this day, the WSS continues to lease road power from the successors of the ACL (CSX) and N&W (NS).
GP9 units: 1501 (N&W), 1502 (N&W), 1503 (ACL), 1504 (ACL)
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
and the Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
(NS), which provide it with equipment. It connects with NS at the north end in Winston-Salem, CSX at the south end in Wadesboro, and in between with NS at Lexington and Whitney, the subsidiary High Point, Thomasville and Denton Railroad
High Point, Thomasville and Denton Railroad
The High Point, Thomasville, and Denton Railroad is a 20-mile short-line railroad jointly owned by CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway . It was a subsidiary of Winston-Salem Southbound Railway...
at High Rock, and the Aberdeen, Carolina and Western Railway
Aberdeen, Carolina and Western Railway
The was incorporated in 1987 and operates on a former Norfolk Southern Railway branch line, running from Aberdeen to Star, North Carolina. It also leases track from Norfolk Southern between Charlotte and Gulf, North Carolina. It serves approximately 18 industries, mainly dealing in forest and...
at Norwood. Originally owned jointly by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
and Norfolk and Western Railway
Norfolk and Western Railway
The Norfolk and Western Railway , a US class I railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It had headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia for most of its 150 year existence....
, predecessors to CSX and NS, it was completed in November 1910.
In June 1960 the WSS acquired full control of the connecting High Point, Thomasville and Denton Railroad
High Point, Thomasville and Denton Railroad
The High Point, Thomasville, and Denton Railroad is a 20-mile short-line railroad jointly owned by CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway . It was a subsidiary of Winston-Salem Southbound Railway...
, which is similarly operated with equipment from both owners.
Commodities carried by the railroad are grain, sand, gravel, stone, forest products, paper products, coal, coke, cement, clay fertilizer, aluminum, chemicals, iron, and steel. Principal shippers are Corn Products Company of Winston-Salem, a manufacturer of corn syrup and related products, and Owens Brockway Glass Company of Eller, a manufacturer of glass products.
On April 16, 2010, notice was published of the intent to merge the High Point, Thomasville, and Denton Railroad into the Winston-Salem Southbound Railway, effective May 1, 2010.
Motive power
The WSS used a variety of steam locomotives from 1910 until 1957, since the Norfolk and Western Railway continued to operate with steam engines, so there was no hurry to dieselize the Winston-Salem Southbound Railway. A new day dawned on April 22, 1957, when four new EMD GP9EMD GP9
An EMD GP9 is a four-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division in the United States, and General Motors Diesel in Canada between January, 1954, and August, 1963. US production ended in December, 1959, while an additional thirteen units were built in Canada, including...
diesels arrived, priced at about $190,000 each. With diesels in full command, the handmaidens of steam engines, the water tanks and coaling stations would soon fall, as did the dark smudges of coal smoke. The 4 GP9s that were purchased were from N&W and ACL, the two companies that owned the WSS. They were re-painted into two different paint schemes and served from the 1950s to the late 1960s, when the WSS, realizing it wasn't cost-effective to maintain servicing facilities, sent the GP9s back to their respective owners and started to lease equipment from the ACL and N&W. To this day, the WSS continues to lease road power from the successors of the ACL (CSX) and N&W (NS).
GP9 units: 1501 (N&W), 1502 (N&W), 1503 (ACL), 1504 (ACL)