Atlantic and Western Railway
Class III railroad in North Carolina
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Atlantic and Western Railway (reporting mark ATW) is a Class III short-line railroad operating about 9 miles (14 km) of track in Lee County, North Carolina.[1] Atlantic and Western is part of Genesee & Wyoming Inc. and formerly part of Rail Management and Consulting. It was reorganized in 1927 from the Atlantic and Western Railroad.[citation needed]
 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Reporting mark | ATW |
| Locale | North Carolina |
| Dates of operation | 1896–present |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Length | 9 miles |
History
Originally the A&W ran between Sanford and Lillington, 25 miles.[2] In 1961, the line was abandoned except for 3 miles from Sanford eastward. In the 1970s, the ATW's fleet of modernized 40-foot boxcars in food lading service were some of the last 40-foot boxcars in revenue service in the United States.[citation needed] The railroad company was reorganized in 1988, following its sale to Rail Management Corporation.[3]
In 2001 the A&W began operating between Sanford and Cumnock over a line that was originally a segment of the Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railway and subsequently Southern Railway and Norfolk Southern. The railway was sold in 2005 to the Gennessee and Wyoming Corporation.[4] In 2011, Norfolk Southern granted the A&W additional rights to serve customers between Cumnock and Brickhaven over the original Norfolk Southern Railway.[citation needed]
