The End Of The Line For The Southern Railway: Maiden, NC

The Carolina & Northwestern Railway (Ca&NW) was a railroad that served South Carolina and North Carolina from 1897 until January 1, 1974. The original line was operated by the CA&NW as a separate railroad controlled by the Southern Railway until 1974 when the name was changed to the Norfolk Southern Railway. On June 1, 1982, Southern Railway and Norfolk and Western Railroad merged to form Norfolk Southern Railway. Choosing to use the name 'Norfolk Southern Railway' for the merger, in 1981, the original Ca&NW line along with original Norfolk Southern Railway was renamed Carolina and Northwestern once again. In the early 1950s several shortline subsidiaries of the Southern Railway were leased to the Ca&NW for operation, with these lines remaining a part of the Ca&NW into the 1980s.
Filmed And Edited: January 2nd 2022

[@revharrycwigmoreiii5787]

It is so sad that many of the Short Line rails when down during recessions, and mostly when all the industry moved overseas. North Carolina is a prime example of that. when I was a young boy remember seeing steam locos pulling freight thru High Point, NC under the Southern Railroad. Also remember the stream liners pulling through High Point at the train station that went just under Main Street in High Point. My Daddy use to carry me to watch trains on Saturdays in High Point, NC and also in Norfolk, VA. But we my Dad got transferred by the Military to Jacksonville, NC, he would carry me to the rail yard that ran along US 17, the old Atlantic Coastline Railroad, in 1956. I remember one Saturday morning watching 2 different engines, one from Wilmington and the other from New Bern. but while waiting for the train to return back to Jacksonville from Camp Lejuene, Engine number 138 of Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, the engineer ask me and my Dad to come aboard this engine, I got to run the engine up and down the track a short distance, I was only 10 years old, It was the thrill of my lifetime. Now at 71 years old, I still love watching trains, It is a passtime and relaxation of my life from the ministry.

[@arraybabe8514]

Thank you for covering this so well! We own property just a few hundred yards downstream from the fatal explosion, and you would not believe how much coal we still find in the creek on an almost daily basis. Sad in many ways, but proof that the past still lives on in the present!

[@SAXTProductions]

Back around 1998 I moved into Hickory and first learned of the C&NW back when the Cauldwell County Railroad had a CF7 in C&NW colors. Getting to know the owner and several people I was able to do several ride along and did some switching and track labor for them for a while. Learning about the C&NW was fun and tricky. Riding the line was always fun.Excellent video.

[@TimSmith-uc4pk]

That is sad. Once it is gone it will never come back.

[@maybesomeday2596]

I love the subject matter and many railfans, including friends and I, survey old lines like this but you took the time to record it…thank you. One critique: the data panels at the end of the video indexed too quickly and it would’ve been nice if the background photos were shown for several seconds without the comments obscuring the image. Good luck on your next adventure.

[@michaeljohnson7493]

Great video. I often times research abandoned and out-of-service lines; they have always interested me. I've spent many idle hours looking on Google Maps at where railroads used to be, but there's no better way to find out a lot about a line really quickly than to watch a video about it. Thanks for going out there and creating this and posting it!

[@user-ij1yu1ke3b]

😢 I wish we would get to see railroad traffic again rather than going to places by car or bus.

[@paulbergen9114]

This is one item we don't have too much of in Wisconsin that being a rail banked line. Very thorough and well done and creative angles with the tracks in the trees. I'm in the other C&NW area and very little Northwestern ever made it to short line status. Well we do have some regionals but anything marginal is ripped up but I still like following those

[@EllieMaes-Grandad]

Ca&NW - I learn something new every day. I had heard of the C&NW, but that's a bit bigger and somewhere else.

[@banjominer9682]

im from morganton.i saw a piece of that old rail while buying a car down that way...great vid

[@1991etb]

I know a few people who were trying to get this line opened back up to service the "Lincolnton" ( ;) ) industrial park however the town of Maiden didnt want anything to do with them coming back through so the idea was abandoned. I grew up about 4 miles away from the end of the line and have often throught of doing a full line video showing as many areas as possible of where the line went through Lincolnton and down into Gastonia.

[@fogdan]

Very Cool Video1 Thanks for posting and keep up the great work!!

[@JawTooth]

Awesome video!

[@John-dd3gz]

Had 3 sou. rs3 in g scale m.u. with smoke generators going pulling 100 + frieght up 7% grade on friends outdoor layout with sou. critter pushing! Impressive!! 😎

[@ajknaup3530]

Love this footage, thank you! Especially enjoy the second bridge details, really nice trestle work. Not sure the sound track adds anything to the presentation.

[@BoxcarJerry]

Nice job on the video I enjoyed it ,new to your channel. Keep up the job.

[@douglasskaalrud6865]

The railroad will pull up the railroad and abandon it and guess who will be the first to complain? The businesses with spurs going into their property that they didn’t use but kept as a hedge against truckers who would fleece them. Now they’re going to pay for that practice.

[@frankcausey2454]

Loved going up the line out of Gastonia up past Dallas to Webb metals. Only gotnto go a handful of times before it was abandoned now only the south end of the hg line exists and they are wanting it gone also

[@sernajrlouis]

Great video and channel just subscribed

[@cltguy1234]

Loved the video! Was originally the Chester and Lenoir Railroad.