I'm looking for some basic info on ACL's affiliation with the East Carolina RR, which ran south from Tarboro to Farmville, NC. Was the EC a wholly-owned ACL subsidiary? Also, a 1930 ACL timetable map shows the line extending south from Farmville, through Maury to Hookerton. Can anyone supply approximate dates of last services and abandonment of this portion. I'll be passing throught the area next month taking photos, if anyone has any specific wants. Many Thanks.

-- Bob Venditti (bobvend@bellsouth.net), May 13, 2000

Answers

Copies of the Bridgers book tend to be rather rare items. The Farmville, NC Library and the May Museum both have a copy which can be referenced in house. The May Museum is in the process of securing artifacts and designing an exhibit on the East Carolina Railway which is scheduled to open in July 2001 to commemerate the 100th anniversary of the ECRy's arrival in Farmville. A number of artifacts from private collections and on loan from other institutions will be part of the exhibit. Some documents are on file in the NC Division of Archives and History but they tend to be NC Commerce Commission reports filed by the railroad which were generally inaccurate and/or incomplete. A number of formery ECRy structures still exist and the former right-of-way is generally visible at various locations. Feel free to contact me at the May Museum if I can be of any assistance(252)753-5814.

-- Clifford P. Kendall (cpkendall@aol.com), August 22, 2000.

East Carolina R.R. (1899-1965). ECRR was opened from Tarboro to Farmville in July 1901 and extended to Hookerton in March 1908. Farmville-Hookerton was abandoned in 1933. The Atlantic Coast Line RR acquired control of the ECRR in 1935. Last steam powered train was in April 1957 and thereafter ECRR freights were usually powered by ACL EMD SW8 #53. The last train ran on November 16, 1965. A history has been published of the ECRR. EAST CAROLINA RAILWAY The Route of The Yellow Hammer, by Capt. Henry C. Bridgers, Pub. by T&E Publishers, Tarboro, N.C. 1973 If you are going to be in the area, you may want to check the Farmville or Tarboro Libraries to look at a copy. Hope this is what you wanted to know.

-- Tom Underwood (tlunder@attglobal.net), May 14, 2000.