INTRODUCTION: In this Frograil tour we will head east on what is legally part of the North Carolina Railroad, which is owned by the state and operated under a long term agreement by Norfolk Southern Railway. While the tour is completed only from Greensboro to Elon College, eventually it will continue on to the Amtrak station in downtown Raleigh. The Charlotte - Greensboro tour, a part of the Crescent Route series of tours, is complete, and is here. That tour ends at the Elm Street interlocking, which is where this one starts.
If you have never taken a Frograil tour before, you are strongly encouraged to visit the Frograil Tour Guide home page, which is loaded with good info for you. Following the advice on that page will save you time, effort, and quite probably, some grief. The page is here.
CONTENTS AND NAVIGATION:
ABOUT THIS TOUR OTHER TOURS CONTRIBUTORS A REQUEST FOR HELP SUPPLEMENTAL AND BACK-UP DATA SITE LISTING THE TOURWHAT YOU WILL FIND HERE: From a particular starting point, each segment of this coverage will allow you to follow the instructions given, drive to a railfan site, then to the next, etc. etc. Traffic levels and patterns will be given, and the photographic/ lighting considerations for each site will usually be mentioned. You'll be told about area attractions, such as tourist and historic sites, as well as hotels and restaurants which are trackside or otherwise worthy of note. In short, you'll be able to plan an entire family or railfan-only outing or even a vacation from this guide, as it is completed in the months to come.
WHAT YOU WILL NOT FIND HERE: This is a railfan guide, not a photo collection. There are already many excellent and enjoyable railroad photo sites available, and one more really wouldn't add much value to the general railfan. Besides, photos take up a lot of memory, and your humble Webmaster has to pay for memory. You will also not find fancy graphics, as this is a tour guide, not an exhibition of graphics expertise. You'll be able to load these pages quickly and print them without waiting a week for each page to print. Also, you'll conserve toner in the process.
CONTRIBUTORS: Major contributors to this tour include:
Tony Hill, Webmaster and content, unless otherwise noted. Any use of the first person singular pronoun refers to Tony, unless specifically otherwise indicated.
A REQUEST FOR HELP: This tour is the result of a short trip by the Webmaster along the route described. Obviously, I'm no expert on the route, and realize that good photo places or other interesting spots and local attractions may have been left out. If you can provide information that would make this tour more complete and enjoyable, please contact me at frograil@yahoo.com, and let me know what you'd like me to add or correct.
Also, if you'd like to contribute tours of portions of other rail lines, we'll work together: You supply the data/info, and I'll do the HTML stuff and upload it. You'll get a chance to review the fruits of your efforts before the general public sees the finished product, so you can let me have your corrections, additions and changes.
SUPPLEMENTAL AND BACK-UP DATA:
The Railroad -- Background. To say that this stretch of railroad is steeped in history is to state the obvious; I'll let the historians deal with those matters. Today's railroad is enjoying a bit of a growth spurt, in that decent traffic levels and volumes are being supplemented by two State-supported Amtrak trains each way daily. As of September 2008, the State is seriously considering adding a third daily train. These trains run between Charlotte and Selma, from which passengers can continue north to DC and the northeast.
The Railroad -- Geography. You are definitely in the Piedmont of the Appalachian Mountains, but for some reason, this railroad is quite a bit gentler than other parts of the Piedmont. The sharp hills and curves usually associated with the foothills are considerably muted all along the route. Railfanning is easy, and the average photo ratings along the way are much better than on most other, non-coastal plain tours.
The Railroad -- Traffic. You will not see a lot of trains, but there are enough to keep you listening to your scanner. In 24 hours, expect a long, regularly scheduled freight in each direction, two sets of Amtrak trains, and the occasional grain train or other movements.
Mapwork: Much of the tour is not easy if you have no detailed map for back country roads. I definitely recommend you get a DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer, study it before your trip, and copy pertinent pages for your field work. You can usually get substantial discounts on DeLorme atlases thru the Frograil Railfan Store, which is here.
Photo considerations. For most of the sites included herein, I try to give you an idea of the availability of photo fields. These ratings are not to be considered indications of the photogenic aspects of a place; they are merely an indication of how much open, uncluttered room you have to take pix. I usually give all 4 compass points, such as: NE3, SE1, SW4, NW4. In this example, there is no photo access from the west, poor from the northeast, and excellent from the southeast. For areas with no crossing, east and west ratings (e.g., E2/W1) are used.
Also note that this tour is thru hilly, tree-covered country, so an SE1 here might barely be a SE2 in the coastal plain. All things are relative. One other thing to consider is that the general bias of the railroad is often northeast - southwest, so many crossings are more an x than a + . This greatly expands the photo potential for most crossings.
Abbreviations. Some phrases are used repeatedly in this tour, so I've developed some standard Frograil abbreviations:
AG. An at-grade crossing.
NAG. A not-at-grade crossing. Unless I mention otherwise, these are usually not worth the time and trouble to drive to them.
NARL. Not a railfan location. This is because of any number of reasons, such as lousy photo ops, dangerous, no shoulder on a NAG bridge, etc. As a general rule of thumb, it is wise to avoid NARL's.
NFOG. Not found on the ground. There may have been a road or crossing here "back in the day", but on-the-ground research failed to find it in the Fall of 2008.
| WEBMASTER'S NOTE: I do not recommend or condone walking along the tracks, as this means trespassing or exposing yourself to danger. You will have to be creative, in some instances, to avoid trespassing while getting to the detailed locations included herein, but you will either have to be creative or not visit those sites. At no point in this tour guide, or in any other part of Frograil, is it recommended that you trespass or expose yourself to danger. If you are a fool and have a leg cut off (or worse), don't come crying to me: You have been warned. Trains are big, powerful, and often surprisingly quiet. Don't end up being a statistic. In all railfan outings, you are encouraged to have at least one male buddy with you. |
Greensboro -- Elm Street Area. If you're just starting the tour, take exit 37 from I-40/85Business, or take exit 124 from I-40/85, and go north on South Elm-Eugene. (Thanks to Donald Arant for a clarification of these directions.) After a few miles, take a right as Elm veers of from Eugene, and continue straight north into the downtown area. Cross the three tracks downtown and park on the east side of Elm. Walk back to the tracks. There is a pedestrian area which allows excellent train viewing. This site is where the North Carolina Railroad was started in 1851, which was perhaps the most important event in the state's history since Columbus sailed.
If you're continuing on from the Charlotte - Greensboro segment, you're already here, so let's all get going towards Raleigh.
The Elm Street area, not to put too fine a point on it, is a pedestrian and vehicle nightmare. I'm not a city boy, but I've had plenty of city driving experience, and this is a tough area to figure out. If you look at a street map or aerial, you'll see why, as 4-6 streets all seem to converge at the junction of the Crescent Route (NS Washington/Hagerstown to Atlanta) and the line we'll be following, NS Greensboro to Raleigh. Just to the east-northeast of the junction is the restored Greensboro Southern Railway station. Both lines see Amtrak trains, and there are tracks all over the place. Getting close to them is tough, however. My advice is to park, and just walk around until you find a location that works for you. Understand that the Crescent Route (actually the Piedmont Division) sees 4-5 times more trains than does the line to Raleigh.
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Greensboro -- Dudley Street. From your parking spot in the vicinity of Elm Street, go north on Elm or Davie street to a right on Washington Street. Pass up Morrow Boulevard, as it is NAG/NARL, as is the Washington Street crossing about 1 1/2 blocks further east. At Dudley Street, take a left and park in the vicinity of the crossing. The station sign for "Fields" is just west of the crossing, and there is a pretty decent view of the far eastern end of the station area. The crossing itself is very busy with street traffic, and the viewing is lousy: NE4, SE4, SW4, NW1. That northwest quad view to the west makes the stop worthwhile.
Greensboro -- Gillespie Street. Continue north on Dudley to a right on East Market Street. Pass up Benbow Road, as it is NAG/NARL, as is O'Henry Boulevard a little further east. Just past O'Henry, watch carefully for Gillespie Street on the right -- it's very easy to miss. Considering how close to downtown Gillespie is, this is an excellent railfan location: NE4, SE1, SW1, NW2. Just south of the crossing, Peach Tree Street goes to the left. The area between Peach Tree and the tracks is really nice.
Greensboro -- English Street. Go back up to Market Street, take a right, and then take another right onto English Street. While a fairly short distance from Gillespie, the viewing is quite different, at NE2, SE4, SW2, NW1. Depending on the time of day, you will probably prefer one over the other. Also, this crossing is really an x rather than a +, as there is a northeast - southwest bias to the tracks.
Greensboro -- Holts Chapel Road. Backtrack to Market Street, turn right, and then take the first right, which is Holts Chapel Road. The tracks, although still northeast - southwest in bias, are now somewhat more northbound, so take these ratings with a grain of salt: NE2, SE1, SW4, NW3.
The marker for Mile Point 2 is just south east of the crossing.
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Greensboro -- Franklin Boulevard. Continue east on Market Street, and you will shortly pass Pine Street (NAG/NARL) and Loudermilk Street (NAG/NARL). When the road begins to swing to the north, bear right onto Burlington Road. The first intersection is with Franklin Boulevard. Take it to the right and the crossing is immediately ahead. Photo ops are NE1, SE1, SW4, NW1, and the MP 3 marker is just to the west of the crossing.
Greensboro -- O'Ferrill Street. Further east on Burlington Road, take a right onto O'Ferrill Street. O'Ferrill crosses the tracks, and then T's with Maybrook Drive. Park anywhere in the area and walk back to the tracks. Photo ops are best shooting to the west: NE3, SE4, SW1, NW1.
Greensboro -- Ward Road. Drive back out to Burlington Road, turn right, and then take another right onto Ward Road. This is a lousy fan location, except for the photo field from the southeast: NE4, SE1, SW4, NW4. The view northeast from the southeast quad is super, and the icing on the cake is that the tracks are elevated.
Greensboro -- Maxfield Road. Burlington Road will merge with US-70, and you should continue east. At this point, the railroad has now become almost dead east - west, and this next location, as well as Wagoner Bend Road which follows, are + crossings, rather than x's.
Take a right onto Maxfield Road, and the photo ratings are NE2, SE1, SW1, NW3. For the most part, the sun will be your friend almost all the time.
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Greensboro -- Wagoner Bend Road. Head back out to US-70/Burlington Road, and take a right to continue east. Pass up Buchanan Church (NAG/NARL), and take a right onto Old Burlington Road. At a T intersection, take a right on what will become Wagoner Bend Road. This will wind around to a pretty nice crossing: NE2, SE2, SW1, NW1. To the east is the MP 5 marker, and beyond that is a pair of very visible signals. Wagoner Bend is a dead end beyond the tracks, so this is a fairly quiet location.
McLeansville -- Frieden Church Road. If you go back to the T intersection and continue straight, there is an ugly NAG/NARL crossing, and the road is cut just before I-840, which is a connector up from I-40. Therefore, at the T, take a left to go back towards US-70, but bear right onto Willowlake Road, which is a short cut to the main road. Turn right onto US-70, and head east out of the Greensboro area, and well into the Piedmont countryside. Before you get to Silverbrook Drive on the south side of the highway, MapQuest shows a road to the north, crossing the tracks. It apparently no longer exists, and was NFOG.
Once past Silverbrook, you'll come to a rather odd road/intersection on the north side of the highway and tracks. This is Frieden Church Road, and it crosses the tracks before going 90º of to the northeast. The crossing is very, very nice, at NE1, SE1, SW1, NW1, but you are cautioned to be very careful, as there is a lot of traffic, and getting safely clear of that traffic can be difficult.
McLeansville -- McLeansville Road. Go back down to McLeansville Road and take a left. This will ultimately lead you to a crossing. Parking is tight here, so continue across the crossing, and up to Frieden Church Road, which has come in via the north side of the tracks from the last location. Walk back to the tracks. The photo ratings are so-so, at NE3, SE4, SW2, NW1. McLeansville Road is really, really busy, so unless you need to get trackside in a hurry, you might want to consider moving further east.
The MP 8 marker is just west of this crossing.
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McLeansville -- Carmon Road. Leave McLeansville's downtown area via Frieden Church Road, which is north of the tracks. At Carmon Road, take a right, go over the tracks, and park at the 90º curve immediately south of them. This looks like a pretty bucolic spot, but there is a steady stream of traffic over the crossing, so don't let looks fool you. That said, the viewing is OK: NE1, SE2, SW3, NW4.
McCleansville -- Colony Road. Heading east on Carmon Road, on a map you'll see all kinds of Agate Road/Rock Quarry Road stuff off to the north. These are private roads, and where not cut, they offer no public access. Therefore, just continue east on Carmon, to a left onto Colony Road. The crossing with Colony is quite good, at: NE2, SE1, SW1, NW1. Actually, it's a good bit better than "quite good".
Gibsonville -- Bell Road. Once again, continue east on Carmon Road, passing the two legs of the Carmon Loop. At Cullen Road, there is a crossing, but it is NARL. At Bell Road, take a left and go to the end of the road. Bell has been cut, and not longer crosses the tracks. Interestingly, MapQuest's aerial and street maps show the road crossing the tracks. The GoogleEarth aerial clearly shows the road as being cut before the tracks. Conclusively, my on-the-ground experience can guarantee that Bell is cut, and there is no access from three of the quads. That yields a yucky NE4, SE4, SW1, NW4 photo ops rating, but the southwest quad is worth a second look.
The shot from the southwest quad is across the farm field. This is an AM shot, and it can be a Great American Train Picture, if you're lucky and the sun and Norfolk Southern cooperate.
Gibsonville -- Wagoner Road. Trundle on back down to Carmon Road, turn left, and continue to the east. At Wagoner Road, take a left and park in the vicinity of the crossing. This is not at all a prime photo location, but it will get you trackside in a hurry in case there is something coming in a short period of time. And that's about all that can be said for it: NE3, SE3, SW2, NW3.
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Gibsonville -- Power Line Road. Once back on Carmon Road, continue east past Frank Road on the right. North of Frank is a road displayed by MapQuest, but it was NFOG. MapQuest also shows a street map view where Eagle Nest Court goes off to the north and crosses the tracks, but it is NFOG. At Power Line Road, take a left and park in the area of the crossing. Note that in this area, Carmon enters the Gibsonville city area, and magically becomes Mineola Street.
This is an afternoon location: NE1, SE1, SW2, NW4, although you can probably make morning shots work in the fall and winter.
Gibsonville -- 10th Street. In the beautiful downtown area of Gibsonville, there is a very nice railfan viewing area. From Power Line Road, go back to Mineola, and take a left to enter Gibsonville. Once in town, take a left onto South Joyner Street, and then another left onto 10th Street. After driving 30-50 yards on the latter, park and pick your spot. You'll note that you are in the only decent photo spot in the area: NE4, SE4, SW1, NW4. But, like some other spots, that southwest facing quad is worth the stopping.
If you continue west on 10th, the street will bend 90º to the south, and just before you get back to Mineola, there is a nice city park with a picnic table or two, and a playground area for the kids.
Gibsonville -- Huffines Street. Downtown Gibsonville should be an ideal fanning location, but someone decided to plant trees all along the tracks, both north and south, so I don't recommend it as a location. Take a left on Mineola to continue east, and then another left onto Springwood Avenue. Cross the tracks and then take a right onto Burlington Street. At Huffines Street, try to park along Burlington, and then walk down to the crossing. There is no parking near the crossing. Be alert, because Huffines is quite busy.
The photo ops looking east are excellent: NE1, SE1, SW3, NW3. Just to the west of the crossing is a defect detector ("Gibsonville"), at MP 15.5. The shot from the northeast quad is excellent, and if you walk east (around some obstructions), the one from the southeast is almost as good. The only negative here is that the road is really busy, and there is virtually no shoulder.
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Gibsonville -- Cook Road. Continue east on Burlington Road/NC-100, until you get to Cook Road, and then take a right. Cook, like Huffines before it, is a quite busy road. The photo ratings to the east aren't as good as at Huffines, but the southwest quad is quite nice. NE3, SE2, SW1, NW4.
Elon College -- Downtown Area. Backtrack up to Burlington Road (which becomes Haggard Road somewhere along here), and take a right. At Church Street, take another right to enter the town of Elon College. The railroad is dead east - west thru the town, and is bounded by Lebanon Avenue to the north, and Trollinger Avenue to the south. Viewing for several long blocks is wide open. This is an excellent railfan location. Get out the lawn chairs and the cooler, and fire up the scanner. Church Street is approximately MP 17.
The town, obviously, is a college town, and there are sandwich shops, pizza places, etc., all over the place.
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We temporarily end the tour here, as I ran out of time. If you would like to contribute to the extension of this tour to the east (or any other tour that might interest you), e-mail me here.