Locations

A Day on the Junebug Line

October 23, 2012
Ben Wells reporting

First I caught up to the Alexander in West Statesville, at the yard and wye by Meachem Road. First sighted the No.9 as it was shoving 6 boxcars around the wye and down the grade toward the warehouses.

After dropping all six cars within the warehouse (and out of sight), it returned to the yard, quickly picked up 2 covered hoppers plus a boxcar, and sped west.

A few miles west of town, the crew backed down the long spur at Deer Ridge Rd to switch Pratt Industries and Providencia. Then they headed west, stopping to pick up the bulkhead/waffle-center flat car at Foothills Drive (no pics – got ahead and missed it). Then they sped west again through the communities of Stony Point and Hiddenite.

No other stops until they reached the Alexander Industrial Park, in Midway (a few miles east of Taylorsville). There was a small yard here and several industries. They switched one industry then ran around their train, put together a 10-car train, and left it in the yard (for the next day’s run?). Then the engine ran light all the way to Taylorsville. And, just as you recorded in 1999, they drove the No.9 into the engine house and rolled down the door.

Bonus: I found that GE switcher at Bartlett Milling in Statesville along the NS. There was a small stub-end switching yard there, which appeared to be dedicated to Bartlett.