Prior to the ACL-SAL merger, did the traffic coming off the C&WC from Spartanburg and Augusta continue to Yemassee and then Savannah or did the ACL interchange with the SAL at Fairfax? Or was this traffic even in existence then? I know after the merger, there were a couple of trains that ran to Fairfax and then joined the old SAL for the run to Savannah.

-- Bryan Russell (btr5353@hotmail.com), May 20, 2004

Answers

Bryan, a C&WC timetable copy in Al Langley's Charleston & Western Carolina Railway Album shows #'s 97, 95, and 15 originating at Yemassee. 97 was through traffic for interchange with the Clinchfield at Spartanburg and likely began the trip at Southover (Savannah) on the ACL. After the SCL merger this traffic continued to originate in Savannah as SCL 396, now northbound on former SAL to Fairfax where it became SCL 397 (same train and crew, but different timetable direction) on the C&WC/ACL to Augusta and Spartanburg. After turning the traffic over to the Clinchfield it became CRR 97. Some years it was operated as a run through all the way to Elkhorn City.

Steve Kamp

-- Steve Kamp (sakamp@hotmail.com), November 05, 2004.