Rocky Mount, NC: CSX/SCL/ACL Depot, Emerson Backshops, Roundhouse and Intermodal Yard

Depot: (3D Satellite)

Intermodal: (Satellite, it has yet to show up on the desktop Goole Maps.)

Scott Warner posted
Late 1940's to early 1950's -ish to my eye.  Here's a bird's eye view of ACL's Emerson Shops in Rocky Mount.  Note the roundhouse in the upper right corner of the photo.  Also note the southern-most section of Main Street across the main set of tracks at the top of the image.

I'm saving a satellite image of the remaining backshop because CSX plans to tear it down. The turntable was at the end of the track at the top of this excerpt.

Satellite

I learned of Rocky Mount because it is supposed to have the CSX Carolina Connector intermodal terminal, but I had not been able to find it. So I had saved this article in my Savannah intermodal port notes.

safe_image for CSX, Georgia Ports Authority partner on daily intermodal service linking Savannah and North Carolina
"The transit time from ship to shore to Rocky Mount will be three days."

But later in the same day, I came across these two posts. So I'm writing about this town.

Bruce Baker posted seven photos with the comment: "Rocky Mount NC - SCL Emerson Shops, 11-26-75."

Dennis DeBruler: There is supposed to be an intermodal yard in this town. On a satellite image, I searched the yard south of the shops, but I could not find it. Could you tell me where it is?

https://www.trains.com/.../csx-georgia-ports-authority.../

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Billy Joseph tucker commented on Bruce's post
Pic of RM derick at Warsaw NC mid 70's.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Bruce's post
The roundhouse was just north of this building,
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.9267902,-77.7998325,195m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu
1957 aerial photo [AR1VIR000110171]

Bruce Baker posted two photos with the comment: "Rocky Mount NC - SCL RR on 11-28-75 featuring #1801 and #704 in the locomotive shop."

1

2

Street View, Apr 2022

railsinva has a lot of photos of the backshops.

Gene Herring posted two photos with the comment: "The employees of the Atlantic Coast Line Emerson Shops wore many hats. One major shop overhauled steam locomotives. Another big function of the shops was to refurbish passenger and dining cars. Pictured below is a freshly reconditioned 83'2" Pullman Standard dining car named the Kinston. Service on the Atlantic Coast Line was next to none. The pride shows in the picture of the servers lined waiting for diners to board. I doubt the snootiest restaurant in Rocky Mount today could compare with the 1937 staff shown here."

NC Rail Past Present shared with the comment: "Cool info about what Emerson Shops in Rocky Mount."

1

2

Street View, Jul 2012

What are the odds I would catch a train at the station?

Street View, Apr 2022

Amol More, May 2023

The depot is supposed to have a railroad museum. [rmrailroad]

The office car ACL 303 is preserved. Note the historical marker on the left side of this view. [hmdb]

Street View, Jun 2018

Billy Joseph Tucker answered Dennis' question on Bruce's post

Dennis DeBruler commented on Billy's answer
Thanks. No wonder I could not find it, it doesn't even show up on my desktop Google Maps. https://goo.gl/maps/BRmZL7JfATh1BpWDA Google Earth shows it was being constructed in Dec 2019.

Google Earth, Nov 2021

Mandan, ND: NP Roundhouse

(Satellite)

Rick Shilling posted
c1940's Northern Pacific Railway Roundhouse, Turntable, Shops and Yard, Mandan, North Dakota. Nancy Hendrickson Photo collection.

Terry B. Carlson commented on Rick's post
Shows to be a 45 stall RH. The RH is long gone, but the TT is still in use by the BNSF. Google Earth Imagery Date: 7-1-2023 Location: 46.8247772,-100.8891648

Satellite

Dennis DeBruler commented on Rick's post
1951 Mandan Quad @ 24,000

Covington, KY: C&O Roundhouse

(3D Satellite)

 

Tim Starr posted
At street level it's probably easy to miss the fact that the defunct Chesapeake and Ohio roundhouse and shops still stand in downtown Covington, KY.

Steve Russo posted nine photos with the comment: "I don't know if this roundhouse was ever posted before, but I stumbled upon it by accident while in Covington, Kentucky last weekend. The only thing I know is that it was originally C & O, and now I believe it houses a private company."

Jay Piper: C&O! That’s cool! I had always thought it was L&N.

[The L&N roundhouse is further south in the DeCoursey Yard.]

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Richard Shulby commented on Steve's post
Built for the C&O prior to 1894, 13 stalls, turntable gone by 1949, listed in Sanborn as paper stock storage for Triangle Paper Bag Manufacturing Co., building infill over turntable area by 1954. Attached is 1909 Sanborn map. Thanks for posting photos!

Richard Shulby commented on Steve's post
Here's an undated (c1930s?) photo of a locomotive on this turntable. Photographer unknown.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Steve's post
This is one of the few times that I have seen where a roundhouse is not properly depicted on a topo map.
1914 West Cincinnati @ 62,500 and 1952 Newport @ 24,000

Tonawanda, NY: Western Electric/Curtis Wright Plant 1

Plant 1: (3d Satellite)

Another Plant: (3D Satellite)

Bartel Miller posted
The old Curtis Wright plant 1 in the 1930's! The plant, located on Vulcan street and Kenmore Avenue, was closed and sold to Western Electric after the conclusion of World War 2. Their other plant by the airport was also sold. Westinghouse purchased that massive structure.
[According to some comments, they built P-40 airplanes during WWII.]
Shelley Siedinski: I've worked at Speed for the past 16 years. The tiny rooms where the engines were tested are still there. We call them the 'catacombs'. They are rarely used and have an eerie quality to them.
Jim Myers shared

The Charter School for Applied Technologies uses the office building and Speed Global Services uses the factory building.

Street View, Oct 2020
A comment on Bartel's post: Mike Clifford: I worked there. That building on Northland was originally a foundry for the extrusion plant located across the yard at Grider and E Ferry. When I was there in the 90’s, a tube reducer was located in this building. All the steel for the extrusion plant came from Electro Melt out of PA.
Mike Clifford: I worked in that plant as it transitioned from CW to IXP. We had a 13,000 ton extrusion press and made seamless pipe for the OCTG industry. Also periscope rails and catapult tracks for the USN, structurals for the tails on Boeing 767(?) am song other stuff. Wyman-Gordon bought us, closed us and moved Rita (the press’ name) down to Texas.

Eskdale, WV: C&O Coal Tower, Samples Coal Mine and B-E 2570

Coal Tower: (Satellite)

Coal Mine: (Satellite)

I found this coal tower because Eskdale was listed as the address of the coal mine.

Street View, Nov 2016

Street View, Jun 2023

Satellite

Terry Tolley posted two photos with the comment: "I don’t know if this dragline pit photo has been posted before.  I’m sure that WEO’s photo of the BE 2570 has been on here before.  This was Catenary Coal, Samples Mine, Cabin Creek, WV."

[Some comments indicate it was scrapped.]

Jimmy Derry: This machine originally was built at Captain mine in Southern Illinois I had worked on it many times both places.

Don Perryman: We had a lot of trouble with the generator commutators at Captain. After having outsiders come in and turn the commuters we bought the equipment and started turning them our self. Jim Brand, master electrician got real good at it.

David Hess: I had installed some antennas on that one for communications equipment. I can never forget climbing up, out and around on that awesome machine! I’d have to replace them occasionally from rocks breaking them during putting off a shot. Good times!

1

2

I generally don't include a whole quad, but it is interesting to see how the stripped areas grew.

1965 Eskdale Quad @ 24,000

1976 Eskdale Quad @ 24,000