Cliffside Railroad was a

Class III railroad In the United States, railroad carriers are designated as Class I, II, or III, according to annual revenue criteria originally set by the Surface Transportation Board in 1992. With annual adjustments for inflation, the 2019 thresholds were US$5 ...

operating freight service in southwestern

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...

from 1905 until service ended in 1987. The line was formally abandoned in 1992.

History

The Cliffside Railroad Company was incorporated on March 2, 1905, and the 3.7-mile railroad line was opened between

Cliffside, North Carolina Cliffside is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States. Its population was 611 as of the 2010 census. Cliffside has a post office with ZIP code 28024. U.S. Rou ...

to Cliffside Junction that same year. In 1984, the railroad acquired the

Seaboard System Railroad The Seaboard System Railroad, Inc. was a US Class I railroad that operated from 1982 to 1986. Since the late 1960s, Seaboard Coast Line Industries had operated the Seaboard Coast Line and its sister railroads—notably the Louisville & Nashv ...

branch line between

Ellenboro, North Carolina Ellenboro is a town in Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 873 at the 2010 census. Geography Ellenboro is located at (35.329689, -81.758955). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total ar ...

and Cliffside Junction, increasing the railroad's total mileage to 8.14. By the 1980s, the railroad's traffic mix included textile products, waste, and scrap, and the railroad was owned by the

Cone Mills Corporation Cone Mills Corporation was a twentieth-century manufacturer of cotton fabrics that included corduroy, flannel, and denim. The company headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina and had its factory mills in parts of North and South Carolina. Th ...

and others. Late in 1987, the railroad's service was suspended. The line was formally abandoned in January 1992.

Preserved Equipment

Two of the railroad's steam locomotives, both of which representing the last steam engines to operate on the railroad before it dieselized in 1962, have been preserved: *Number 110,

2-6-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels, six coupled driving wheels and two trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Prairie. Overview The major ...

, built by the

Vulcan Iron Works Vulcan Iron Works was the name of several iron foundries in both England and the United States during the Industrial Revolution and, in one case, lasting until the mid-20th century. Vulcan, the Roman god of fire and smithery, was a popular n ...

in 1927 as McRae Lumber & Manufacturing Gulf number 1. Later went to the Beechwood Band Mill in Cordele, Georgia, and was acquired by the Cliffside in 1933. The engine made its final run on July 23, 1962,(1962, July 23) Cliffside Railroad's Steam Engine Retired After Friday's Run. The Forest City Courier. Retrieved December 3, 2012, from http://remembercliffside.com/galleries/railroad/old_puffer.html after which the railroad switched entirely to diesel powered operations and the 110 was placed in reserve until it was sold to the Swamp Rabbit Railroad in Cleveland, South Carolina, a year later. Swamp Rabbit eventually sold the engine to the

Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad The Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad (SMRR) is a standard gauge railroad that circles the perimeter of Stone Mountain Park in a loop, and provides views of the mountain en route. History The railroad utilizes what was originally an industrial spu ...

, where it was given the name "Yonah II" and operated around

Stone Mountain Park Stone Mountain is a quartz monzonite dome monadnock and the site of Stone Mountain Park, east of Atlanta, Georgia. Outside the park is the small city of Stone Mountain, Georgia. The park is the most visited tourist site in the state of Georgia. ...

until it encountered running gear issues and was withdrawn in 1982. In 1984, the 110 was placed on display outside the Stone Mountain's Memorial Depot. In late 2012, Stone Mountain sold the 110 to the

New Hope Valley Railway The New Hope Valley Railway is a heritage railroad in Bonsal, North Carolina operated by the North Carolina Railway Museum, Inc., an all-volunteer, nonprofit, and tax exempt educational and historical organization. The railroad consists of a to ...

in Bonsal, NC for eventual restoration to operation on their 4.5 mile tourist railroad. * Number 40,

2-8-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels ...

, built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1925 for the

Lancaster and Chester Railway The Lancaster and Chester Railroad or L&C is a railway headquartered in Lancaster, South Carolina. The original route connects Lancaster in Lancaster County with Chester in Chester County. The line's nickname is The Springmaid Line, which refe ...

. The Cliffside Railroad bought the engine in 1947, and the engine operated until 1962 when, despite having been refurbished for continued use, the engine had been retired by the Cliffside and sold to the

New Hope Railroad The New Hope Railroad , formerly and colloquially known as the New Hope and Ivyland Railroad, is a shortline and heritage railroad located in New Hope, Pennsylvania. Today, the railroad operates both steam and diesel powered locomotives and i ...

, where it continues to operate.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cliffside Railroad Defunct North Carolina railroads Railway companies established in 1905 Railway companies disestablished in 1987 American companies established in 1905

History

Preserved Equipment

See also

References