Seaboard System

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Hi-

This question has to deal with the history of the SCL. Was it more of a partnership or did the SCL merge with the L&N to create the Family Lines System? Also, how is this different from the Seaboard System. Did the Family Lines System change it's name to Seaboard System or was the Seaboard System formed from another merger? My last question, why was the Family Lines System know as the West Point Route?

Thanks,

James

-- James Baker (SNBfan17@hotmail.com), October 17, 2001

Answers

Didn't the ACL took control (although not 100% ownership) of the L&N, the A&WP, the WofA, and possibly the Georgia in 1902 and the Clinchfield in 1924?

-- Chuck Till (ctill@nc.rr.com), October 20, 2001.

the ACL was majority owner of the L&N prior to the merger with the seaboard, why it all wasnt merged together back in 1967 (SAL/ACL/L&N) i dont know, anyone else have any idea??? Only later did SCLI gain the clinchfield, GARR, A&WP, etc.

-- troy nolen (kirkwood@gdn.net), October 19, 2001.

When the Atlantic Coast Line merged with the Seaboard Air Line, they formed a new corporation...Seaboard Coast Line Industries. This corporation operated the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Company. Over time the parent corporation acquired other railroad companies...L&N, Georgia, Clinchfield, etc.-including 'the West Point Route'. These independent railroad companies, under the ownership of the common parent corporation, were marketed as 'The Family Lines'. At the same time, the Chesapeake & Ohio acquired the Baltimore & Ohio, and the Western Maryland. These three railroad companies, unser the same parentage, were known as 'The Chessie System'. All these railroad companies kept their own identities at this point. When the parent corporations merged, to form CSX, all the individual railroad companies were merged into two systems...Seaboard System, and Chessie System. Finally the two systems were merged to form CSX Transportation...C= Chessie, S= Seaboard, and X=the multiplication symbol. HTH Bill

-- Bill Donahue (BillD53A@aol.com), October 18, 2001.

To answer the last part of the question (regarding the West Point Route) - It wasn't. The West Point Route was made up of the Atlanta & West Point Rail Road Company and The Western Railway of Alabama. Both these companies were components of the Family Lines Rail System, but the FLRS was not ever, to my knowledge, itself known as The West Point Route.

-- Robert H. Hanson (RHanson669@aol.com), October 17, 2001.

The Family Lines was a marketing scheme, not a merger. The members of the Family Lines all kept their corporate structures and legal names. No merger was involved. A number of functions were consolidated (marketing and accounting, primarily)but the separate legal identities were maintained.

The Seaboard System was officially formed on January 1, 1983, by the merger of the members of the Family Lines System. This cleaned up the corporate family tree and made one company out of a half dozen or so.

Hope this helps.

Bob Hanson

-- Robert H. Hanson (RHanson669@aol.com), October 17, 2001.



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