South Carolina Western Railway
| Company type | Railroad company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Fate | Merged into Carolina, Atlantic and Western Railway in 1914; subsequently absorbed by Seaboard Air Line Railroad in 1915 |
| Headquarters | South Carolina , United States |
Area served | Southeastern United States |
The South Carolina Western Railway was a railroad company active in the Southeastern United States during the early 1900s.
History
Established in 1910 through legislation by the South Carolina General Assembly, the South Carolina Western constructed a 38-mile rail route connecting the Seaboard Air Line Railroad's Main Line at McBee, South Carolina eastward to Florence, South Carolina by 1911. That same year saw the completion of the Darlington station. In 1912, additional tracks were laid extending from Hartsville, South Carolina to Sumter, South Carolina, as well as from Lydia, South Carolina to Timmonsville, South Carolina. By 1914, the line reached southeast from Florence to Poston, South Carolina, where it linked with the Georgetown and Western Railroad.
In 1914, a consolidation occurred whereby the South Carolina Western merged with the Georgetown and Western Railroad, the South Carolina Western Extension Railway, and other railroads to create the Carolina, Atlantic and Western Railway. This new company was subsequently incorporated into the Seaboard Air Line Railroad in 1915. The former routes of the South Carolina Western were redesignated by Seaboard as the Hartsville Subdivision (stretching from McBee to Poston), Sumter Subdivision (running from Hartsville to Sumter), and Timmonsville Subdivision (a branch line to Timmonsville). The Timmonsville Subdivision was discontinued during the 1950s.
Following the 1967 merger that combined Seaboard Air Line with Atlantic Coast Line into the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL), redundant routes near Florence were streamlined. SCL assigned an "S" prefix to mileposts on former SAL lines (for example, SJ) to differentiate them from previous ACL tracks. The original South Carolina Western segment between Hartsville and Florence was abandoned in favor of utilizing the ex-ACL route; meanwhile, the Sumter branch was merged into the Hartsville Subdivision. The track between Pamplico and Poston was also removed, leaving only the section from Florence to Pamplico as the Pamplico Subdivision, which itself was abandoned in the 1980s. Other sections discontinued by 1982 included Robinson to Hartsville and Bishopville to Sumter.
In 1980, SCL’s parent company merged with the Chessie System to form CSX Corporation, which completed full operational integration under CSX Transportation by 1986. On December 1, 1987, CSX sold remaining trackage between Hartsville and Bishopville to the South Carolina Central Railroad.
Currently, rail lines still exist from McBee extending to the H. B. Robinson Nuclear Generating Station, operated by CSX under the name Robinson Spur.
Historic stations
| Milepost | City/Location | Station | Connections and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SJ 299.9 | McBee | McBee | junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Main Line |
| SJ 305.2 | Leland | ||
| SJ 306.2 | Robinson | ||
| SJ 307.9 | Hickson | ||
| SJ 309.3 | Segars | ||
| SJ 314.5 | Hartsville | Hartsville | junction with:
|
| SJ 319.8 | Lunn | ||
| SJ 326.2 | Darlington | Darlington | junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Parkton—Sumter Line |
| SJ 335.5 | Florence | Florence | junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Main Line |
| SJ 338.5 | Fendall | ||
| SJ 341.9 | Poyner | ||
| SJ 350.8 | Perrot | ||
| SJ 354.0 | Pamplico | Pamplico | |
| SJ 364.5 | Kingsburg | ||
| SJ 365.7 | Poston | junction with Seaboard Air Line Railroad Andrews Subdivision |
| Milepost | City/Location | Station | Connections and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SJA 314.5 | Hartsville | Hartsville | junction with McBee to Poston line |
| SJA 320.9 | Lydia | junction with Timmonsville Branch | |
| SJA 322.8 | Una | ||
| SJA 325.8 | Alcot | ||
| SJA 330.3 | Bishopville | Bishopville | junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Bishopville Branch |
| SJA 335.3 | Manville | ||
| SJA 337.3 | (Ashwood) | ||
| SJA 342.7 | Dubose | ||
| SJA 345.8 | Brent | ||
| SJA 350.6 | Bordeaux | ||
| SJA 352.4 | (Sumter) | Sumter | junction with: |
| Milepost | City/Location | Station | Connections and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SJAB 320.9 | Lydia | junction with Sumter Branch | |
| SJAB 329.7 | (Lamar) | Lamar | junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Parkton—Sumter Line |
| SJAB 338.0 | (Timmonsville) | Timmonsville | junction with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Florence—Robbins Line |