Baldwins Structures Equipment Operations Layout History Home

Stations

Let's start with a tour of the towns along the Durham & Southern mainline. One of the main influences in the creation of the Durham & Southern was the Duke family in Durham to help supply their tobacco company with tobacco and cotten (for the bags holding the tobacco). It was also to supply their newly built Erwin Cotten Mills in Erwin.

D&S Track Schematic
Apex Schematic, courtesy of Ernest Robl

Also note that you can view the track locations by going to http://www.historicaerials.com/ and selecting Topographical map view preferably prior to 1980.

**Please note that some of these links go to the Piedmont & Western Railroad Club's NC Railroad Station Photo page and we kindly thank them for allowing us to do so.
**We also appreaciate EndangeredDurham.blogspot.com for their excellent site and history of some of these places (mostly Durham).

Durham MP 0


Headquarters building was located at 904 Ramseur St. Is now a church called Iglesia De Restauracion. Photo taken March 14th, 2007.

Old Durham Station which was used by the D&S. Demolished on Sept. 3rd-5th, 1968.
http://endangereddurham.blogspot.com/2007/04/union-station.html

A few industries that were highlighted in the 1969 Annual Report located in or near Durham:

East Durham MP 2.3

D & S. C. Junction MP 3.8
 This was where the original Norfolk Southern got into Durham via trackage rights on the D&S. The NS trackage was originally built as the New Hope Valley Railroad, renamed in 1905 as Durham & South Carolina Railroad. Leased to the NS, bought in 1957.
http://www.nhvry.org/history.htm

Few MP 5.7

  • 2 Cement/Concrete mixing business is here, Marquett Cement MP 5.7 and Ready Mix Cement MP 6. Just south of East Cornwallis Road.

Genlee MP 10.4

Carpenter MP 14.2


Freight Depot on July 26th, 2008
http://www.pwrr.org/nstation/carpenter.html


Carpenter Farm Supply Co. (the Depot is behind me in this photo, click on it for a larger size)

D&S Bridge MP 19.6 - Clearance 13'-8"

Apex MP 20.7

Link to original Apex tower with caption: "Apex, NC - August 22, 1934 - Interlocking tower at crossing of
Seaboard Air Line north-south mainline (behind tower) and Durham and
Southern Ry. tracks in foreground. View looking southeast toward
Dunn, NC."


Apex Schematic, courtesy of Ernest Robl


Union Passenger Depot and Freight Depot are still standing. In this view we are looking south on the CSX line. http://www.pwrr.org/nstation/apex.html

Sadly the old coal tower in Apex was recently demolished for a bunch of new condos. I remember exploring this many times when I was younger and lived in Apex. I would ride my bike up to the Grocery Boy Jr. off Laura Duncan and play the video games in there and buy some candy. Sometimes we would ride our bikes down the dirt road to the old Purina building. This is one of my favorite photos:
http://durhamcountylibrary.org/exhibits/dhpa/photo_archives/h/h025.php

  • L.G. Jordan Oil Company
  • Stock Building Supply

Fuquay-Varina MP 33.4


Depot has been moved ~50 feet to the southeast and is fully restored. It is now host to a furniture consignment store called My Front Porch. It is now a bar called Aviator Brewing Tap House http://www.aviatorbrew.com/ This photo was taken after it was moved, but before it was restored. In this photo, they were putting in the new foundation underneath it at the time.

Kennebec MP 38.2
 Not sure if there was a station here at one time or not. There is a private airfield here. Just north of the airfield is the Highway 55 bridge that goes over the old right of way.

Angier MP 40.4


Angier Depot is surviving as the Chamber of Commerce. With SCL 1083 caboose next to it.



Downtown Angier across from the Depot.
http://www.angierchamber.org/history.cfm
http://www.pwrr.org/nstation/angier.html

Barclaysville MP 44.5
 Noted for a DS wreck in 1975 and as a crossroads and Inn on the Old Stage Road: http://barclayvilla.com/history.htm

Coats MP 48.8


Old Coats School, now has a new gas station on the corner.


Depot is serving two businesses (Hair Salon & Land Sales & Rentals). You can see the Freight building in the background.


Town info: http://www.coatschamber.com/aboutcoats.cfm
http://coatsmuseum.com/
http://www.pwrr.org/nstation/coats.html

  • Large Lumber mill was located here

Erwin Junction MP 53.4 A wye was once located here

Erwin MP 55.4
History of the Erwin Mills (No. 2)
http://www.owdna.org/History/history18.htm
Now it is run by the Erwin Business Complex:
http://www.erwinbusinesscomplex.com/


Short spur here to the site of the Erwin Cotton Mills Company. Originally named Duke in 1903, changed to Erwin on January 1, 1926.


Mural from days gone past in better times.


Older part of the building. Not sure when this one was built.


Downtown Erwin in July 2008.

  • Nello Teer Sand & Gravel Co.
  • Burlington Industries purchased Erwin Cotton Mills in 1962. In 1987, Burlington Industries was purchased by Swift Textiles, Inc., of Columbus, Ga. Erwin Cotton Mills in Erwin, N.C., closed down on Dec. 31st, 2000. Loads in: coal, cotton, dyes & chemicals, machinery. Loads out: rolls of denim.

Dunn MP 56.8


Depot is still there, serving as a cement business. However, there is nothing left of the engine shed except the concrete pad.
Town info: http://www.dunn-nc.org/history-of-dunn-nc-499.asp
http://www.pwrr.org/nstation/dunn.html

  • Dunn Ice & Fuel Co. Inc
  • Paul Beasley’s Concrete
  • Cotton Gin & warehouse (Need name of this one)
  • Fertilizer company (Need name of this one also)

D&S track schematic:

 
Updated: October 7, 2014