CP385.1 
 A87S 
 
 IMP" 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 
 
 00042093509 
 
 THE STORY OF THE 
 ATLANTIC COAST LINE 
 
 1830-1930 
 
 
 ••'•• I ,; ' ' 
 
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THE LIBRARY OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF 
 
 NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 AT CHAPEL HILL 
 
 THE COLLECTION OF 
 NORTH CAROLINIANA 
 
 ENDOWED BY 
 
 JOHN SPRUNT HILL 
 CLASS OF 1889 
 
 Cp385.1 
 A87s 
 

 ^tie Story of {he 
 1 Atlantic CoasSi Line 
 
 ^3o* — 19^° 
 
 I .HI M I H 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hil 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/storyofatlanticcOOatla 
 
WHs 
 
 OTKe StorJ) of the Atlantic Coast Line 
 
 )N February 10, 1830, a little company of progressive 
 people of Petersburg, Virginia, obtained from the 
 General Assembly of Virginia a charter for the construction 
 of a railroad from Petersburg "to some convenient point on 
 the North Carolina line." When completed in 1833 the new 
 railroad reached from Petersburg to a point one and one- 
 half miles below the falls of the Roanoke River near Weldon, 
 North Carolina, a distance of 59 miles. 
 
 Constructed as a community enterprise to attract trade 
 to Petersburg, the Petersburg Railroad was the earliest of 
 more than 100 short, disconnected, railroads that were later 
 brought together into the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad 
 to form a single unified system between the North and the 
 South, with a network of lines serving the six Southeastern 
 states, which brought into actual being that "Great High- 
 way of the Union" envisaged by the founders of the Peters- 
 burg Railroad. 
 
 /*~ves- 
 
 o 
 
 Go 
 
IOO YEARS OF PROGRESS 
 
 Throughout their history the roads comprising the At- 
 lantic Coast Line have been pioneers, pushing new lines of 
 rails from established settlements, cities and ports, back 
 into the undeveloped wilderness; making possible the uti- 
 lization of natural resources, the development of profitable 
 agriculture, and the establishment of new industries. 
 
 The pioneer tradition persists. In recent years new rail- 
 roads that have stirred the imagination and called to mind 
 the exploits and hardships of the early railroad builders 
 have been constructed into sections as yet undeveloped. 
 But there is other, less spectacular, work that is of even 
 greater importance. Present day transportation demands 
 double track, automatic block signals and train-control, 
 heavy rail, substantial ballast, permanent structures, ade- 
 quate terminal facilities, ample modern equipment, and men 
 who are transportation experts ; and the Atlantic Coast Line 
 has been a pioneer in providing them. 
 
 To this progressiveness, that has been a distinguishing 
 characteristic of the Atlantic Coast Line, there has been 
 added the doctrine of sound and conservative business prac- 
 tice, and well considered judgment. The result is to be 
 found in a railroad system that furnishes transportation 
 of the highest type to an empire that is still in the making. 
 
 The construction of the Petersburg Railroad, and of 
 many of the other railroads that later became a part of the 
 Atlantic Coast Line, had its beginning in the struggle for 
 trade supremacy and advantage between cities and sec- 
 tions along the South Atlantic Coast that dates back to 
 colonial times. 
 
 [2] 
 
I 8 3 O 
 
 I 9 3 O 
 
 One hundred years 
 ago the sections along 
 the coast were already 
 old. The seaport cities 
 had been built upon the 
 trade of the rich agri- 
 cultural lands along the 
 coast and inland water- 
 ways that had first been 
 put into cultivation. 
 But the fertility of 
 these lands was being 
 depleted. Furthermore, 
 the Piedmont sections 
 to the West and, across 
 the mountains, the rich 
 valleys of the rivers flowing to the Gulf, were attracting 
 an ever growing number of settlers. It was vital to the 
 life of the coastal cities that they should secure the trade 
 of these new sections. 
 
 Transportation was the controlling factor of the situa- 
 tion. Those planters along the coast and rivers could float 
 their products to market, a slow and costly process, but the 
 only one available. Those in the interior were compelled to 
 haul their crops to the nearest navigable water, a process 
 so expensive as to preclude any but the most valuable com- 
 modities. Lack of cheap over-land transportation prevented 
 the development of the Piedmont districts; the fact that 
 navigable rivers did not always bring down to the coastal 
 
 [31 
 
IOO YEARS OF PROGRESS 
 
 cities the produce from the sections which each city con- 
 sidered its rightful trade territory made the merchants 
 eager for some means that would enable them to overcome 
 the handicaps of water transportation and to attract the 
 trade of the rich new inland settlements. 
 
 At or near the head of navigation of most of the prin- 
 cipal streams important trading centers had grown up. To 
 
 these points the produce 
 of the Piedmont and 
 mountain districts was 
 brought on pack horses or 
 by wagon to be loaded on 
 boats or rafts and taken 
 to the ports for shipment 
 abroad or to the markets 
 of the North and East. A 
 number of the early rail- 
 roads were constructed 
 with the view of inter- 
 cepting the trade of the 
 back country at the head 
 of river navigation so as 
 to divert it to the cities or sections that furnished the 
 capital with which the various railroads were built. Rich- 
 mond, Petersburg and Norfolk competed for the trade of 
 parts of Virginia and, to a certain extent, of North Caro- 
 lina, lying west of the Coastal Plain; Norfolk and Wil- 
 mington were in competition for the trade of certain dis- 
 tricts of North Carolina; Charleston and Wilmington both 
 
 [4] 
 
I 8 3 O * * » I93Q 
 
 wanted the produce of the upper Pee Dee River sections; 
 Savannah and Charleston vied with each other in their 
 effort to secure the business of the Savannah River Valley. 
 
 The construction of the Dismal Swamp Canal which 
 made it possible for the produce of certain sections of North 
 Carolina tributary to the Roanoke, Neuse and Tar Rivers 
 to be brought by boat to Norfolk, gave Norfolk an advan- 
 tage over Richmond, Petersburg and Wilmington. Compe- 
 tition for the trade moving by the canal was later partly 
 responsible for the construction of two of the early railroads 
 that are now part of the Atlantic Coast Line system. 
 
 Another determining factor in the building of these and 
 other early roads was the increasing volume of through 
 passenger traffic between the North and the South which 
 promised substantial revenues. 
 
 Early Railroads Were Community Enterprises 
 
 Like the Petersburg Railroad many of the early rail- 
 roads that later became a part of the Atlantic Coast Line 
 were strictly community or sectional enterprises. They 
 were built by local capital, augmented in some cases by 
 state funds, and were officered and manned by local people. 
 From the outset they were essential parts of the economic 
 life of their respective communities. Every person along 
 their rails had a direct personal interest in them. Con- 
 ceived as a relief for conditions that were rapidly becom- 
 ing intolerable they gave new impetus to agriculture, in- 
 dustry and trade and became increasingly important as 
 time went on. 
 
 [5] 
 
IOO YEARS OF PROGRESS 
 
 The Petersburg Railroad was completed in the fall of 
 1833, and almost at once justified the optimistic predictions 
 of its founders. Business was good from the outset and 
 the traffic steadily increased. 
 
 The success of the Petersburg Railroad demonstrated 
 the advantages of railroads over other transportation and 
 resulted in a movement to connect Petersburg and Rich- 
 mond by rail. On March 14, 1836, the Richmond and 
 Petersburg Railroad was chartered to build a line between 
 the two points named. Construction began in the spring 
 of the same year, and in May 1838, the line was in 
 operation. 
 
 On January 3, 1834, the people of Wilmington, North 
 Carolina, secured a charter for the construction of the Wil- 
 mington and Raleigh Railroad. The idea at first was to 
 join Wilmington and Raleigh, N. C, but the people of 
 Raleigh would not subscribe to the capital stock so the rail- 
 road was built to Weldon, N. C, near the head of navigation 
 on the Roanoke River, and only a short distance from the 
 terminus of the Petersburg Railroad. In 1855 the name of 
 
 [6] 
 
I83Q ♦ * * I93Q 
 
 the Company was changed to the Wilmington and Weldon. 
 
 Money was scarce and many difficulties had to be over- 
 come but the railroad was finally completed and put in 
 operation on March 19, 1840. Covering a distance of 161 
 miles it was at that time the longest railroad in the world. 
 
 The construction of these three lines, while undertaken 
 separately and for the principal purpose of attracting trade 
 to the three larger cities served, formed, in connection with 
 the line of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac 
 north of Richmond, an important north and south route, 
 and made it possible to travel by rail from Accomac Creek 
 in Virginia to Wilmington, N. C, although change of cars 
 was necessary at all terminal points, as there was no track 
 connection between the three railroads. During the War 
 between the States such connection between the Petersburg 
 and the Richmond and Petersburg was made as a war mea- 
 sure, but it was not until 1866-67 that the charters of the 
 roads were amended to permit a permanent connection of 
 the rails of the two lines. 
 
 From Wilmington, steamers operated by the Wilming- 
 ton and Raleigh Railroad, ran to Charleston, S. C. This rail- 
 water line proved to be popular because it furnished the 
 most direct route between the South and the East, and 
 greatly shortened the time required for the trip. 
 
 The largest revenue of the three roads in the early days 
 was, generally speaking, derived from local passenger 
 traffic, although through passenger traffic formed an in- 
 creasingly important item and before 1860 far exceeded 
 local traffic. 
 
 [7] 
 
IOO YEARS OF PROGRESS 
 
 The cheap and light construction of the early roads was 
 not suited for the handling of heavy freight traffic and 
 maintenance charges required the expenditure of unex- 
 pectedly large amounts of current income. As a result the 
 stockholders received scant dividends and there was con- 
 siderable dissatisfaction. Heavier rail and equipment were 
 gradually acquired as funds became available, however, and 
 the roads were thus able to handle the growing traffic. 
 
 The history of the roads in North Carolina and Virginia 
 is closely paralleled by that of the roads constructed about 
 the same time in South Carolina and Georgia. Trade 
 competition between Wilmington, N. C, Charleston, S. C, 
 and Savannah, Ga., was responsible for the construction of 
 the Wilmington and Manchester, later known as the Wil- 
 mington, Columbia and Augusta ; the Northeastern of South 
 Carolina; the Cheraw and Darlington; the Atlantic and 
 Gulf, and other lines that were pushed out into fertile back 
 country. 
 
 The Beginning of a Modern Railroad System 
 
 The War between the States, while it stimulated traffic 
 and brought, at first, large earnings for some of the rail- 
 roads, proved disastrous for all. The Richmond and Peters- 
 burg, the Petersburg, and the Wilmington and Weldon, con- 
 necting Richmond with a section that furnished large quan- 
 tities of supplies for Lee's armies, were, in effect, the 
 "Bread Line of the Confederacy." Their importance was 
 further magnified by the fact that Wilmington was the 
 principal, and for a long time the only, open port that 
 
 [8] 
 
I 8 3 O 
 
 I 9 3 O 
 
 could be used by blockade 
 runners bringing essential 
 supplies for the forces of 
 the Confederacy. Fort 
 Fisher, commanding the 
 mouth of the Cape Fear 
 River below Wilmington, 
 was of utmost importance 
 to the Confederate plan of 
 strategy, and the railroads 
 connecting Wilmington and 
 Richmond enabled the 
 quick transport of troops 
 and supplies. 
 
 During the latter part of the war, considerable sections 
 of the three railroads were torn up and dismantled by the 
 opposing forces. Much of the equipment was destroyed, 
 bridges and buildings were burned and many early and 
 important records were lost. 
 
 The railroads in Georgia and parts of South Carolina 
 suffered even greater damage and some of them came out 
 of the war with "nothing but their rights of way." There 
 was inevitably a period of financial reorganization in which 
 the beginning of the Atlantic Coast Line system took form. 
 In 1869, a group of far-sighted Baltimore capitalists 
 acquired an interest in the Wilmington and Weldon, spent 
 large sums in its rehabilitation, and were successful in re- 
 storing its earning capacity. Later, controlling interests 
 were secured in connecting roads to the north and south 
 
 [9] 
 
IOO YEARS OF PROGRESS 
 
 including the Petersburg, the Richmond and Petersburg, the 
 Wilmington, Columbia and Augusta, the Northeastern Rail- 
 road of South Carolina and the Cheraw and Darlington. 
 This resulted in establishing a unified policy of manage- 
 ment for the affiliated roads, although they retained their 
 corporate identity. 
 
 How the System Got Its Name 
 
 For many years prior to this time the route comprised 
 by these railroads had been known as the "Weldon Route." 
 About 1871 the term "Atlantic Coast Line" was adopted 
 because the roads so closely paralleled the Atlantic Ocean. 
 This was at first merely a designation of a route. The 
 companies forming the route, however, used the term on 
 their locomotives, in addition to their own names. 
 
 Until 1886, the lines south of Wilmington had tracks 
 five feet wide, while those to the north were standard 
 gauge. When through sleeping cars to and from Florida 
 were inaugurated it was necessary to change trucks under 
 the cars at Wilmington. All freight had to be transferred 
 at that point. On an appointed day in 1886, the tracks of 
 the lines south of Wilmington were changed to standard 
 gauge, without accident or interference with business. This 
 removed the last obstacle to through rail transportation 
 between the Southeast and other parts of the country. 
 
 At that time much of the freight to New York and 
 other Eastern points moved by the Wilmington and Weldon 
 to Weldon, thence to Norfolk, and to destination by 
 steamer. Recognizing the advantages that the section 
 
 [10] 
 
I 8 3 O 
 
 I 9 3 O 
 
 along the Carolina 
 Coast offered for the 
 production of early 
 vegetables the manage- 
 ment undertook to pro- 
 vide a route that would 
 make it possible to mar- 
 ket these perishable 
 products in the large 
 Eastern cities. As a re- 
 sult the lines making 
 up the all-rail route be- 
 tween Charleston, Wilmington and New York established 
 in 1887 fast rail service known as the "Atlantic Coast Des- 
 patch" between South Atlantic points and New York. 
 Special cars were built for this service, and the insignia, 
 consisting of a large circle enclosing the words "Atlantic 
 Coast Despatch" has become familiar to hundreds of 
 thousands of people through its continued appearance on 
 cars of the Atlantic Coast Line. 
 
 The route of the "Atlantic Coast Line" at that time was 
 from Richmond to Wilmington, thence to Florence and 
 Charleston, S. C. In 1885, however, the Wilmington and 
 Weldon undertook the construction of what was called the 
 "Fayetteville Cut-off," from Contentnea, N. C, to Fayette- 
 ville, N. C, and thence, later, to Pee Dee, S. C, on the 
 Wilmington, Columbia and Augusta. This new line mate- 
 rially shortened the distance and running time and became 
 the main line of the Atlantic Coast Line. 
 
 [ll] 
 
IOO YEARS OF PROGRESS 
 
 The Period of Consolidation 
 
 In 1898 the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad was 
 authorized by the legislature of Virginia to purchase the 
 Petersburg Railroad and to name the resulting consolida- 
 tion, totalling less than 100 miles of line, the "Atlantic 
 Coast Line Railroad Company of Virginia." 
 
 In the same year the South Carolina legislature char- 
 tered the "Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company of South 
 Carolina" to absorb the Wilmington, Columbia and Augusta, 
 the Northeastern, the Cheraw and Darlington, the Man- 
 chester and Augusta, and the Florence Railroad. This re- 
 sulted in the consolidation of about 700 miles of line of 
 which 600 were located in South Carolina. 
 
 The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company of South 
 Carolina had an existence of only two years. The most 
 important event during this time was the securing of a 
 lease, jointly with the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, of 
 the Georgia Railroad. 
 
 On April 21, 1900, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad 
 Company of South Carolina, the Wilmington and Weldon, 
 the Norfolk and Carolina and other railroads, were sold to 
 and merged into the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company 
 of Virginia, which then changed its name to the Atlantic 
 Coast Line Railroad Company. 
 
 This consolidation extended the lines of the Atlantic 
 Coast Line Railroad Company from Richmond, Va., to 
 Charleston, S. C, with various branch and feeder lines 
 in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. 
 
 [12] 
 
I 8 3 O 
 
 I 9 3 O 
 
 After the War between the States there had been a 
 period of extreme depression for the railroads in Georgia, 
 Florida and Alabama. Through the efforts of Henry B. 
 Plant, a number of railroads in this territory had been 
 brought together under the name of the Savannah, Florida 
 and Western Railway Company, otherwise known as the 
 "Plant System." This system had a main line from Charles- 
 ton to Port Tampa, Fla., from Savannah to Montgomery, 
 Ala., and numerous branch lines in South Carolina, Georgia, 
 Florida and Alabama. 
 
 New Lines Aid Development 
 
 In 1902 the Plant System was acquired by the Atlantic 
 Coast Line Railroad Company and this purchase gave the 
 Atlantic Coast Line substantially its present form. While 
 there have been no further large individual increases in 
 mileage since that time new lines constructed and purchased 
 
 during the past 27 years 
 W* " ^ ==r =1 -- , _ = have brought the total 
 mileage from 4,138 in 1903 
 to 5,153 miles in 1930. 
 
 Each of these lines per- 
 formed a valuable service 
 in opening up new areas to 
 development, or in making 
 Coast Line service available 
 to sections in need of 
 additional transportation. 
 Thus Fort Myers, Fla., 
 
 [13] 
 
IOO YEARS OF PROGRESS 
 
 prior to 1903, was an iso- 
 lated village, but with the 
 aid of transportation fur- 
 nished by the completion of 
 a railroad by the Atlantic 
 Coast Line it made a vigor- 
 ous and rapid growth and 
 soon became an important 
 city. 
 
 The construction of a 
 line of road from Haines 
 City to Sebring, Fla., and 
 later to Moore Haven, Fla., 
 through territory entirely 
 undeveloped and almost uninhabited at the time, resulted 
 in the development of the Scenic Highlands, one of the show 
 places of Florida, and one of the large citrus producing sec- 
 tions of the State, and also made possible the development 
 of the rich lands west of Lake Okeechobee. 
 
 Other lines constructed or purchased performed much 
 the same service in other places. 
 
 Of even greater importance, however, was the steady 
 improvement in the entire transportation plant of the Coast 
 Line that was made through successive years. From the 
 time the first interest in the constituent companies of the 
 Atlantic Coast Line was acquired it has been the policy of 
 the management to provide railroad facilities to meet every 
 transportation need of the territory and thus contribute 
 most to its growth and prosperity. 
 
 [14] 
 
I83Q * * * I93Q 
 
 Millions of dollars were spent for double track, heavy- 
 rail, ballast, new motive power and other equipment and 
 all the accessories that go to make up an efficient railroad. 
 As a result the Coast Line steadily improved its service. 
 
 Recent Improvements 
 
 Following this policy an extensive program of improve- 
 ment was begun shortly after the return of the railroads 
 from Government operation in 1920 that has resulted in 
 the spending of $89,590,278 up to December 31, 1929. After 
 deducting all retirements this represents an actual addition 
 to the property of $80,131,143. 
 
 This program of improvement embraced the purchase 
 of large amounts of equipment, the completion of double 
 track between Richmond and Jacksonville and at other 
 points; the construction of a line from Perry to Monticello, 
 Fla. ; from Thonotosassa to Vitis, Fla., and from Immoka- 
 lee to Everglades, Fla., as well as construction of a line 
 from Bradenton to Sarasota, Fla., and thence to a point 
 near Fort Ogden; also construction of a line from Fort 
 Myers to Collier City, Fla. 
 
 All of these lines opened up new territory which promise 
 to become heavy producers of traffic and, like other lines 
 constructed by the Coast Line, paved the way for agricul- 
 tural, industrial and recreational development. 
 
 Construction of double track began in 1904 and was 
 continued from year to year with the growth of traffic. 
 Points first selected were important junctions and ter- 
 minals where the volume of traffic was heavy and where 
 
 [15] 
 
IOO YEARS OF PROGRESS 
 
 double track would facilitate the in and outbound move- 
 ment. 
 
 In the fall of 1925 double track was completed between 
 Richmond, Va., and Jacksonville, Fla., automatic signals 
 being installed currently with construction. 
 
 Since that time the Coast Line has constructed double 
 track between Moncrief and Yukon, Fla.; between Orange 
 City Junction and Sanford, Fla. ; between Winter Park and 
 Orlando, Fla.; between Tampa and Uceta, Fla., and be- 
 tween Dunnellon and Vitis, Fla., on its West Coast line. 
 
 Practically all of the Atlantic Coast Line main line is 
 equipped with modern train dispatching telephone circuits 
 that enable the utmost efficiency in directing train move- 
 ment. Practically all main line is ballasted with gravel, 
 crushed stone or slag, and 100 pound steel rail 39 feet long, 
 is the standard used. 
 
 The Coast Line is notable for its long stretches of 
 straight tracks, few and easy curves and light grades. There 
 3^= ^ — ^Er "~ ~z= = =^ — ~-^==— are no tunnels and 
 VX -^ Z --- -"iH n0 roc k cuts. The 
 
 fills are broad and 
 the drainage is not 
 surpassed by that 
 of any railroad in 
 America. 
 
 The territory that 
 the Coast Line 
 serves is aptly 
 known as the Na- 
 
 [16] 
 
I 8 3 O * * * 19 3 O 
 
 tion's Garden. Here bountiful crops of fruits and vege- 
 tables are produced at a season of the year when the big 
 markets of the North, East and West offer the best prices. 
 
 Atlantic Coast Line Standards of Service 
 
 One of the most important services rendered by the 
 Atlantic Coast Line has been in making possible the growth 
 and expansion of fruit and vegetable growing in the South- 
 east. The value of these products depends, of course, en- 
 tirely upon fast and reliable transportation to the great 
 consuming markets. Recognizing the vast possibilities of 
 the sections it serves, the Coast Line has developed a type 
 of service that carries perishable products from its terri- 
 tory to the markets of the country in the shortest possible 
 time. By extending its rails into new areas suited for pro- 
 duction of fruits and vegetables, as for example, in the 
 case of the line from Haines City to Moore Haven, Florida, 
 it has made development possible and encouraged the set- 
 tlement of hitherto unproductive areas. 
 
 In spite of the development that has taken place along 
 the Coast Line, the resources of the sections it serves have, 
 literally, hardly been scratched. The ability of this vast 
 garden to increase its output of fruits and vegetables is 
 limited only by the quantities that can profitably be mar- 
 keted. And its proximity to the great consuming centers, 
 with fast service over the Coast Line, gives it an advan- 
 tage that is attracting increasing numbers of skilled fruit 
 and vegetable growers and other specialized farmers. 
 
 The passenger service of the Atlantic Coast Line has, 
 
 [17] 
 
IOO YEARS OF PROGRESS 
 
 like the freight service, been developed to meet highly 
 exacting demands. Long before the formation of the 
 present system, the constituent roads made up the most 
 direct route between Florida and other parts of the South- 
 east and the North. In 1887 these roads established the 
 Florida Special, operating between New York and Florida, 
 which was, so far as can be learned, the first de luxe tourist 
 train in the world. It has been continued every season 
 since that time, and is the dean of all fine tourist trains. 
 
 Coast Line passenger trains have long set a standard 
 that appeals to the most discriminating taste. A schedule 
 of 23 1/3 hours between New York and Florida — the 
 fastest service ever offered — was established for the sea- 
 son 1929-30. 
 
 The Atlantic Coast Line has long been known for its 
 progressiveness in keeping its facilities adequate to handle 
 all traffic. Especial care is taken to provide ample motive 
 power and equipment suited to the needs of traffic and 
 the climate. The lounge cars, for example, on the Havana 
 Special were built especially for that train and are unique 
 in their comfort, fittings, and appearance. So with the 
 freight equipment. Ample numbers of box and ventilated 
 cars are owned and the Coast Line is one of the largest 
 stockholders of the Fruit Growers Express, the agency 
 through which the larger number of refrigerator cars are 
 supplied to the Southeast. 
 
 On December 1, 1929, the Atlantic Coast Line owned 
 1,021 locomotives, 32,696 freight equipment cars, 798 pas- 
 senger equipment cars and 1,840 work equipment cars. 
 
 [18] 
 
I 8 3 O 
 
 I 9 3 O 
 
 The Coast Line is one of the largest taxpayers in the 
 Southeast. In 1929 its tax accruals amounted to $6,240,000. 
 This represented an increase of about 214% of the amount 
 of taxes paid in 1919. 
 
 The employees of the Atlantic Coast Line have always 
 been known for their loyalty and efficiency. The close ties 
 of a common interest have bound them all into the Coast 
 Line family, whose members work and live together in a 
 unity that is seldom found. Thirty-four men have worked 
 for the Coast Line 50 years or more, and 1,384 have been 
 in its service 25 years or longer. 
 
 The Atlantic Coast Line is closely affiliated with the 
 Charleston and Western Carolina Railway and the North- 
 western Railroad of South Carolina. It owns a majority of 
 stock of the Louisville and Nashville; the Columbia, New- 
 berry and Laurens ; the At- 
 lanta, Birmingham and 
 Coast; the Tampa South- 
 ern ; the Fort Myers South- 
 ern and other railroads. 
 Together with the Louis- 
 ville and Nashville it leases 
 the Georgia Railroad and 
 the Clinchfield Railroad, 
 and controls through own- 
 ership and under the lease 
 of the Georgia Railroad a 
 majority of stock in the 
 Atlanta and West Point. 
 
 [19] 
 
IOO YEARS OF PROGRESS 
 
 Through the Louisville and Nashville it is interested in the 
 Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis, and has a lease-hold 
 interest in the Western Railway of Alabama and other 
 lines. These railroads, in connection with the rails of the 
 Atlantic Coast Line, have a total mileage of 14,480. 
 
 The Atlantic Coast Line is also interested in the Penin- 
 sular and Occidental Steamship Company, operating a line 
 of steamers between Port Tampa, Key West and Havana, 
 and the Chesapeake Steamship Company which operates 
 steamers between Baltimore and Norfolk, Richmond and 
 West Point, Va. Indirectly, it is interested in Pan-American 
 Airways, Inc., and certain of its trains furnish connections 
 at Miami with planes of this company. 
 
 The Atlantic Coast Line, however, is not merely a big 
 railroad. The constituent companies of the Atlantic Coast 
 Line were built and operated by the people of the sections 
 they served, and when merged into the present organization 
 their employees brought with them that tradition of loyalty 
 to their employers, pride in their occupation and intimate 
 knowledge of the people and transportation needs of their 
 communities, which makes the Atlantic Coast Line so in- 
 tegral a part of the economic life of the Southeast. 
 
 The fortunes of the Coast Line are those of the people 
 of the Southeast. It has prospered with them when times 
 were good ; it has suffered with them when times were bad. 
 It has grown with the Southeast because its management 
 has conscientiously devoted every effort and all the Com- 
 pany's resources to anticipating and meeting the trans- 
 portation needs of its patrons. 
 
 [20] 
 
Additional copies of this booklet 
 
 may be obtained from 
 
 ATLANTIC COAST LINE RAILROAD CO. 
 
 PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT 
 
 Wilmington, N. C. 
 
 Wilmington Stamp & Printing Company PRINTED IN U. S. A. 
 
FOR USE ONLY IN 
 THE NORTH CAROLINA COLLECTION 
 
 THIS ITEM MAY NOT BE COPIED 
 ON THE SELF-SERVICE COPIER 
 
 Form No. A-368, Rev. 8/95