Yadkin Valley Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Yadkin Valley Railroad is the trade name
of the Piedmont and Atlantic Railroad and is a shortline railroad
operating two lines leased from the Norfolk Southern Railway
originating out of Rural Hall, North Carolina
for a distance of 93 miles (149.7 km). The railroad began operation in 1989 and is currently a subsidiary of Gulf and Ohio Railways
.
Primary commodities include poultry feed ingredients, wood products, steel, plastics, propane, ethanol, and rail car storage, amounting to approximately 12,700 annual carloads.
and was completed by the North Western North Carolina Railroad on August 30, 1890, as part of the Richmond & Danville
. The second line to Mount Airy
was constructed by the Cape Fear & Yadkin Valley in June of 1888. Both railroads were absorbed by the Southern prior to the turn of the century.
The Yadkin Valley railroad began operations December 11, 1989, as a subsidiary of the Laurinburg & Southern
under Norfolk Southern's Thoroughbred Shortline Program
. Interchange is made with Norfolk Southern at Rural Hall. Control of the railroad was turned over to Gulf & Ohio on March 1, 1994. Recently acquired trackage rights allow the railroad access to Winston Salem.
As both lines were still leased from Norfolk Southern, the railroad sought to purchase both lines outright in 2009.
Trade name
A trade name, also known as a trading name or a business name, is the name which a business trades under for commercial purposes, although its registered, legal name, used for contracts and other formal situations, may be another....
of the Piedmont and Atlantic Railroad and is a shortline railroad
Shortline railroad
A shortline railroad is a small or mid-sized railroad company that operates over a relatively short distance relative to larger, national railroad networks. The term is used primarily in the USA and Canada...
operating two lines leased from the Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
originating out of Rural Hall, North Carolina
Rural Hall, North Carolina
Rural Hall is a town in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. It is a part of the Piedmont Triad. The population was 2,464 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rural Hall is located at ....
for a distance of 93 miles (149.7 km). The railroad began operation in 1989 and is currently a subsidiary of Gulf and Ohio Railways
Gulf and Ohio Railways
Gulf & Ohio Railways is a holding company for seven different short-line railroads in the Southern United States, as well as a tourist-oriented passenger train, and locomotive leasing and repair service through Knoxville Locomotive Works...
.
Primary commodities include poultry feed ingredients, wood products, steel, plastics, propane, ethanol, and rail car storage, amounting to approximately 12,700 annual carloads.
History
Two separate lines comprise the Yadkin Valley railroad, both originating out of Rural Hall. The first runs to North WilkesboroNorth Wilkesboro, North Carolina
North Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was approximately 4,116 at the 2000 census and is now 4,245 as of the 2010 census. North Wilkesboro is the birthplace and original home of Lowe's Home Improvement, which continues to have a major presence in...
and was completed by the North Western North Carolina Railroad on August 30, 1890, as part of the Richmond & Danville
Richmond and Danville Railroad
The Richmond and Danville Railroad was chartered in Virginia in the United States in 1847. The portion between Richmond and Danville, Virginia was completed in 1856...
. The second line to Mount Airy
Mount Airy, North Carolina
Mount Airy is a city in Surry County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,388.-History:Mount Airy was settled in the 1750s as a stagecoach stop on the road between Winston-Salem and Galax, Virginia. It was named for a nearby plantation...
was constructed by the Cape Fear & Yadkin Valley in June of 1888. Both railroads were absorbed by the Southern prior to the turn of the century.
The Yadkin Valley railroad began operations December 11, 1989, as a subsidiary of the Laurinburg & Southern
Laurinburg and Southern Railroad
The Laurinburg and Southern Railroad is a short-line railroad operating in North Carolina. The railroad has of track that runs south from Raeford to Laurinburg, North Carolina. In the past the Laurinburg and Southern controlled a number of other small railroads in North Carolina and Virginia...
under Norfolk Southern's Thoroughbred Shortline Program
Thoroughbred Shortline Program
The Thoroughbred Shortline Program was a system of shortline creation devised by Norfolk Southern in the late 1980s. It involved an alternative to the typical practice of a Class I railroad selling rail lines outright to shortlines in the post-Staggers Act era...
. Interchange is made with Norfolk Southern at Rural Hall. Control of the railroad was turned over to Gulf & Ohio on March 1, 1994. Recently acquired trackage rights allow the railroad access to Winston Salem.
As both lines were still leased from Norfolk Southern, the railroad sought to purchase both lines outright in 2009.