Hi, I will be in Wilmington NC next week and was hoping someone could tell me if there are any good railfanning spots in the area. Thanks very much for any help.
Paul
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Hi Paul,
The only site I'm aware of in Wilmington is the Railroad Museum on Nutt Street. It's in an old ACL freight station and there's a lot of ACL history on display as well as a model rr.
If you want to "watch trains," check out the Wilmington Terminal Railroad...switches all the industrial type stuff in and around Front Street...to the State Port...and down the River Road. There are videos on YouTube. Also...short drive across the river to the Davis Yard at Leland. I have no idea how friendly the CSXT is around Wilmington...but, I think you can observe the yard from a parking lot...or the side of the road without upsetting the natives.
Just some suggestions...
Not sure what trains run back and forth to Hamlet, NC...you should drive to Hamlet and check out all that goes on there...not that far...probably better than a day spent in Wilmington.
My thanks for the suggestions. Hamlet would be nice to visit again but it's not in the plans for this trip. I'll check out the port and yard - thanks.
Phil, I plan to check out the museum, look like it could be a fun stop. Thank you gentlemen.
Paul
Paul.....you probably know about 2 other neat things to see in Wilmington.....the WWII battleship North Carolina and Fort Fisher whose reduction by Union forces in January 65 closed to Confederacy to the outside world.
Peter
Paul....ditto to what Peter said!
Not really much in Wilmington besides the museum. If you're driving South from up North there are a number of interesting places on your way. The Amtrak station at Selma is a great place, very busy tracks crossing at 90 deg. It's right on I-95 on your way to Wilmington. Then right off I-40 is Warsaw which has a Wye and there's usually half a dozen diesels sitting there. Raleigh also has a large Wye. Hamlet is another great spot. One place to check out is to take Castle Hayne Road which turns into Cornelius Harnett Drive and then turn on N 6th St. This is a dead end industrial area and the tracks cross the Cape Fear over a Jack Knife bridge which is usually open. Not much traffic but sometimes you'll find something interesting. I've driven down the RR right of way to the bridge a number of times and no one bothers you. Train crews always wave and pass on.
Here's a pic from last fall, had a brand new paint job and a caboose -
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You might want to see if Vertex Rail ever started building tank cars on Raleigh Street off the Carolina Beach Road. This was announced in 2014...1500 cars in 2015...and 4500 each year thereafter. Perhaps it is widely known...but, I never heard if this started. That would surely enhance the WTRR bottom line...assuming they would haul the completed tanks to the CSX interchange...wherever they do that now...my guess...behind Greenfield Park....
If one of you knows...please advise on all counts.
It was mentioned that you might be driving down I95. In Weldon NC is the northern terminus of the Wilmington-Weldon railroad. When completed in the 1840/50s, it was the longest railroad in the world. The freight house and passenger terminal are still there. It's worth spending a few minutes to see.
BTW, the Wilmington-Weldon railroad was WT Sherman's target in 1865. He was marching to cut the railroad in Goldsboro NC when the last big battle of the civil war was fought at Bentonville.
That reminds me that the rail station in Goldsboro is being restored. It was once used by the Atlantic Coast Line and the Southern Railroad.
Enjoy your visit to the Tarheel State.
Wow - once again thanks for all the replies and suggestions. While I would love to make this a NC railfan trip, the purpose is to see my Dad who is spending two months out of the cold NJ weather to be near my brother in Carolina Beach.
Peter, Dad is a WWII Veteran who was in Pattons 3rd Army and fought his way across France and Germany including the Battle of the Bulge. The Battleship North Carolina was one of his first stops when he got down there.
Once again - thanks for help.
Paul
My mother took me to see that ship.When I was a kid because my uncle was in the navey.During ww2 and can still remember his story.Seeing just how big the ship was.Just blew me away.And seeing her big guns and what they could do.On deck was a shell that was fired from the big guns.It was big as I was at the time.Some times I can not help being pround of the people n.c.I did not know there was a train station.I will have to go check it out to some day.
