Raleigh, Charlotte and Southern Railway

Norfolk Southern Railway
Company type	Railroad
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1942
Defunct	1974 (absorbed by Southern Railway)
Fate	Merged into Southern Railway; name later reused in 1982 for merged Southern Railway–Norfolk and Western entity
Headquarters	Norfolk, Virginia, United States
Area served	Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina
Products	Freight and passenger rail services

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Raleigh, Charlotte and Southern Railway, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 24 July 2025

The Norfolk Southern Railway was the ultimate designation of a rail line running from Norfolk, Virginia southwestward to Charlotte, North Carolina. This railroad was absorbed by the Southern Railway in 1974, which later combined with the Norfolk and Western Railway in 1982 to create the present-day Norfolk Southern Railway.

In May 1920, the Norfolk Southern Railroad, its forerunner, leased the Durham and South Carolina Railroad, thereby extending its system to 942 miles. By 1970, the Norfolk Southern Railway managed 624 miles of mainline track and 801 miles of total track, reporting revenue freight traffic amounting to 710 million ton-miles.

History

The Elizabeth City and Norfolk Railroad was chartered in 1870 and commenced operations in 1881, linking Berkley, Virginia, with Edenton, North Carolina. In 1883, it was renamed Norfolk Southern Railroad ("NSRR") to signify expansion goals. The company entered receivership in 1889 and was reorganized as Norfolk and Southern Railroad in 1891. By that time, it had secured trackage rights over the Norfolk and Western Railroad into Norfolk and extended its route southward to Belhaven, North Carolina.

In 1899, the N&S acquired the Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Southern Railroad, expanding service eastward to Virginia Beach. The acquisition of its rival Chesapeake Transit Company in 1904 allowed consolidation of parallel routes to improve efficiency. Passenger train service played a significant role in fostering Virginia Beach’s resort development until highway improvements diminished rail’s prominence.

In 1902, N&S took over the Washington and Plymouth Railroad from the Roanoke Railroad and Lumber Company and began operating a car ferry across Albemarle Sound, which was replaced by a bridge constructed in 1910. The narrow-gauge W&P line was converted to standard gauge by 1904.

By 1906, the Raleigh and Eastern North Carolina Railroad (later renamed Raleigh and Pamlico Sound Railroad) had constructed lines connecting Washington to Bridgeton and Raleigh to Zebulon.

On November 24, 1906, Norfolk and Southern Railway was established through the merger of N&S Railroad with Raleigh and Pamlico Sound Railroad along with several others:

Virginia and Carolina Coast Railroad: linking Suffolk to Edenton/Elizabeth City.
Pamlico, Oriental and Western Railway: connecting New Bern to Bayboro.
Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad (leased from 1904): running from Goldsboro to Morehead City.
Beaufort and Western Railroad: extending from Morehead City to Beaufort.

Following another receivership in 1908, the company reverted to the Norfolk Southern Railroad name in 1910. That year also saw construction efforts that linked major branches into a mainline stretching toward Charlotte through Raleigh.

The Egypt Railroad, chartered in 1890, was reorganized as Sanford and Troy Railroad in 1910 after encountering financial issues.

The Durham and Charlotte Railroad (chartered in 1893) extended southwest toward Star by 1902 despite legal challenges concerning right-of-way. It also acquired former tracks of the Raleigh and Western Railway around Cumnock.

In November 1911, NSRR created the Raleigh, Charlotte and Southern Railway (RC&S) by consolidating several lines including Sanford and Troy Railroad, Durham and Charlotte Railroad, Raleigh and Southport Railway (connecting Raleigh to Fayetteville), and Aberdeen and Asheboro Railroad (linking Aberdeen to Asheboro). By 1914 NSRR had connected these routes into a continuous corridor from Varina through Colon to Charlotte.

Leasing the Durham and South Carolina Railroad in May 1920 granted NSRR access into Durham. The D&SC line connected Durham southward to Bonsal on the Seaboard Air Line Railroad.

After entering receivership again in 1932, the company defaulted on its Atlantic and North Carolina lease by 1935; various branch lines were subsequently abandoned or sold off during this period. The company reorganized as Norfolk Southern Railway in 1942. Steam locomotives were phased out by 1954.

On January 1, 1974, Southern Railway purchased Norfolk Southern Railroad, merging it into Carolina and Northwestern Railway but maintaining the Norfolk Southern name. In 1982 this name was released for use by the merged entity of Southern Railway–Norfolk and Western that formed today’s Norfolk Southern Railway.

Currently, Norfolk Southern continues to own the main line stretching from Gulf near Cumnock northeastward to Raleigh. Other portions have been either transferred or abandoned: Gulf westward to Charlotte is now operated by Aberdeen, Carolina and Western Railway; Edenton northward to Norfolk is managed by Chesapeake and Albemarle Railroad; Belhaven-Pinetown branch along with Plymouth-Raleigh segment are under Carolina Coastal Railway’s operation. The Plymouth-Edenton section was dismantled following removal of the Albemarle Sound Trestle during the late 1980s.

Passenger Service

During 1932, Norfolk Southern provided significant passenger operations, featuring twice-daily trains running between Norfolk Terminal Station and Union Depot in Raleigh. The nighttime journeys on this line were marketed as the Midnight Express. Upon arrival in Raleigh, travelers had the option to transfer conveniently to Charlotte through a scheduled connection. This route linked major northeastern North Carolina communities including Elizabeth City, Washington, Greenville, and Wilson. Additionally, the railroad operated services to various coastal towns such as Columbia, Belhaven, and Beaufort.

In 1902, the Chesapeake Transit Company introduced an electric interurban route connecting Norfolk with Virginia Beach and Cape Henry. This line was incorporated into Norfolk Southern in 1904, becoming known as the NS Electric Division. Over time, the trolley system was supplanted by a gas-electric railcar commonly referred to as a "doodlebug." On May 15, 1940, Norfolk Southern transferred its principal train service from Norfolk Terminal to Berkley Station.

By 1943, bus transportation had replaced most passenger routes except for the mainline between Norfolk and Raleigh and the Virginia Beach Electric Division—later renamed the 'Virginia Beach Division.' The gas-electric "doodlebug" service to beach destinations persisted until 1947, when all passenger train operations east of Norfolk were discontinued. Complete cessation of passenger rail service occurred on January 31, 1948; however, mail and express freight services continued for several years thereafter.

Company Officers

The following individuals served as presidents of Norfolk Southern:

William E. Philips – President of EC&N RR (1881–1882)
William E. Philips – President of NS RR (1883–1889)
Watson B. Dickerman – Receiver of NS RR (1889–1891); President of N&S RR (1891–1899)
John Carstensen – President of N&S RR (1900–1904)
A.H. Flint – President of N&S RR (1904–1905)
Marsden J. Perry – President of N&S RR (1905–1906)
Frank S. Gannon – President of N&S RR (1906–1908)
Thomas Fitzgerald – Receiver of N&S Ry (1908)
Harry K. Walcott & Hugh M. Kerr – Receivers of N&S Ry (1908–1910)
E.T. Lamb – President of NS RR (1910–1912)
Charles H. Hix – President of NS RR (1912–1914)
Joseph Young – President of NS RR (1914–1918)
R.H. Swartwout – President of NS RR (1918–1919)
George R. Loyall – President of NS RR (1920–1932)
G.R. Loyall & L.H. Windholz – Receivers of NS RR (1932–1933)
M.H. Hawkins & L.H. Windholz – Receivers of NS RR (1933–1942)
L.A. Beck – President of NS Ry (1942–1947)
J.T. Kingsley – President of NS Ry (1947–1953); collaborated closely with Chairman Patrick B. McGinnis, who later assumed leadership at Central of Georgia Railway and Boston and Maine Railroad
G.M. Self – President of NS Ry (1953–1954)
J.R. Prichard – President of NS Ry (1954–1956)
Henry Oetjen – President of NS Ry (1956 onward)

Heritage Unit

In celebration of Norfolk Southern Railway’s 30th anniversary in 2012, the company honored its historical roots by repainting twenty locomotives in the liveries of predecessor railroads. Among these was NS #8114, a GE ES44AC locomotive painted in the original Norfolk Southern color scheme, symbolizing the company’s enduring brand heritage and industry legacy.

External Links

References