March 28, 2018

Phosphate train 

CHOCOWINITY, NC —Most nights, one CSX train comes through Beaufort County. It comes from the west , through Grimesland, Bear Creek, and Chocowinity on its way to the phosphate mine in Aurora. It delivers a load, picks up a load, and returns along the same route with its new load before light the next morning. It came thorough about 7:30 last night close on the heels of Norfolk Southern’s E51 leaving Marsden Yard headed south toward New Bern and eventually Selma, NC. The phosphate train only stopped long enough to throw the switch that would point them toward Phosphate Junction, Blounts Creek, and Aurora. It was drawn by a ES44AC-H leading an AC44CW.