C&WC line to Anderson, SC

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Anyone know the train schedule and operation for the C&WC(ACL) line to Anderson, SC in 1965 era? What rains operated, locomotives on line, was passenger service provided? What type industries served in the Anderson area?

-- Bill Michael (bill.michael@juno.com), December 14, 2001

Answers

Bill, my copy of SCL Employee Time Table #1, April 28,1968 lists the following public/private tracks for the Anderson subdivision: Hester mpKH 525.8 Rocky River Wool Mill mpKH 531.6 Trask mpKH 534.1 Continental Can Wood Yard mpkh 543.2 Piedmont Wood Yard mpKH 549.4 Carolina Tank Corporation mpKH 550.0 Dye Plast mpKH 554.8 Owens Corning Fiberglas mpKH 555.5 Duke Power Company mpKH 556.0

Additionally, the communities of Bordeaux, Willington,Mt.Carmel, Calhoun Falls, Lowndesville, Iva, Starr, and Deans were served between McCormick and Anderson. The line from Calhoun Falls to Anderson was abandoned by SCL beginning in 1979 due to the filling of the Lake Russell Reservoir. Owens Corning Fiberglass is still served by rail via a convoluted series of connections with the remaining segment of what was the Blue Ridge RR from Anderson to Seneca and Walhalla (now NS). The segment from McCormick to Calhoun Falls has also been abandoned. Prior to abandonment, in summer of 1978 SCL reballasted the line. I worked one of the rock trains in July. Industries in Anderson were primarily textile mills operated by J.P.Stevens and Dan River, an FCX feed /fertilizer distributor, a propane gas distributor and other similar distribution facilities.

-- Steve Kamp (sakamp@hotmail.com), November 06, 2002.


According to Mr. Langley's book passenger service on the Anderson Branch became mixed trains only beginning in 1932. I don't see any date for the cessation of mixed trains on the branch, but by 1955 all passenger service ended on the C&WC except for the ACL Florence- Augusta trains running on C&WC between Robbins and Augusta.

-- Sandy Bridges (smbjr@aikenbridges.com), December 18, 2001.

One daily except Sunday train was running. It left McCormick before 7:00 am and was back from Anderson in the late afternoon. I can't recall if the rebuilt combine was still being used, or if it had been replaced with a caboose.

GP-7's generally were used on this line, in pairs. I had relatives who lived near the tracks just north of town so I was able to see this train numerous times. I never recall seeing any other type of locomotive. There was a small fuel and sand facility at McCormick, so the units did not rotate much except for inspections.

Can't be of help on the Anderson industries, although I recall that the train usually hauled loaded wood racks from areas north of McCormick.

Al Langley's C&WC book would be of help too you. Let me know if you have further questions.

-- Riley Kinney (csx333@yahoo.com), December 17, 2001.


According to my notes, the last passenger train on the C&WC ran between Augusta,Ga., and Port Royal, SC, the eastern end of line, on March 14th, 1955. A 1953 employee timetable shows only two roundtrips by local freights McCormack to Anderson. One was Mon-Sat both ways, the other Mon-Wed-Fri westbound and Tue-Thur-Sat eastbound. Sorry I don't have any '60's information.

-- Tom Underwood (tlunder@attglobal.net), December 14, 2001.

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