April 1986 - WASHINGTON NC — The old caboose painted up in Southern RR orange (sitting beside the Senior Center and Civic Center) did not arrive in town that way. It came to town in mostly gray of the Family Lines System. The town painted it red at first and later changed it to Southern caboose color. The caboose now houses a very nice Underground Railroad Museum informing visitors about Washington’s place in that earlier “railroad.”

April 1995 - WHARTON STATION NC — Atlantic Coastline ran from Parmele to Washington pretty much parallel to US264, down the middle ofThird Street to the station which is now the Civic Center. In 1995, there was still one of the railroads old mileposts still standing. Anyone have pictures of the station that was at Wharton?

April 1995 - CHOCOWINITY NC — Is this Norfolk Southern’s first Heritage Unit? This can be a confusing locomotive. My understanding is that Norfolk Southern bought this GP59 in 1989. It first appeared in standard NS black & white. In 1994, it was painted in Southern’s livery to honor Norfolk Southern’s forefather. In 2004, it got a Operation Lifesaver black & white paint job. It is seen here under the US-17 overpass headed to Marsden yard.

November 1989 - BELHAVEN NC — Carolina Coastal Railway’s 127, an old Baldwin S12M, is seen here pulling train 265 across Cuckolds Creek between Belhaven and Pantego.

March 1990 - WASHINGTON NC — Norfolk Southern entering town with an EMD GP38-2 on the lead. Many of these holdovers from SOU service are still in service.

November 1989 - BELHAVEN NC — Back in the old days, the run to Belhaven from Pinetown often looked like Two Guys and a Train. Here, track work fell to the engineer and conductor on a MOW car that doubled as the regular locomotive for the run, a Baldwin S12M.

August 1989 - BELHAVEN NC — This workman is loading soybeans into a covered hopper car at the grain bins on Pantego Creek.

March 1990 - WASHINGTON NC — This old maintenance-of-way truck is said to be a rebuild of an old bread truck. It currently resides the Carolina Coastal Wilson yard.

January 1990 - WASHINGTON NC — Norfolk Southern freight leaves the Pamlico River trestle. The train conductor stands on the deck of the caboose watching someone at the foot of the bridge.

August 1989 - WASHINGTON NC — An ex-SOU GP38 built in 1970 was pulling north as he crossed the Pamlico River. This is from the years when Norfolk Southern still ran the rails north of the river. NS’s old trackage is now operated by Carolina Coastal Railway.

January 1990 - WASHINGTON NC — North Carolina’s can’t-make-up-its-mind climate often means fog along the river in the winter. Back in 1990, Norfolk Southern still crossed the Pamlico River trestle in Washington. Here, a Plymouth bound NS freight is pushing through a winter fog over the river.

August 1989 - BELHAVEN NC — A second photo of this old GE 44-Ton Switcher served Carolina Coastal Railway in Pinetown and Belhaven. This photo was taken at the grain elevators which are now Perdue on Pantego Creek in Belhaven. The 44Tonner was made by GE from 1940-1956.

August 1989 - BELHAVEN NC — This old GE 44-Ton Switcher served Carolina Coastal Railway in Pinetown and Belhaven. This photo was taken at the grain elevators which are now Perdue on Pantego Creek in Belhaven. The 44Tonner was made by GE from 1940-1956.

February 1990 - Back in 1990, this was Carolina Coastal Railway’s Pinetown communication center. Dispatching has come a long way in 30 years. But, we got EOTs and lost cabooses.