Conway Seashore Railroad

The Conway Seashore Railroad was a South Carolina railroad that operated in the early 20th century. It ran from Conway, South Carolina southeast to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Conway Seashore Railroad
Original route (click to enlarge)
Overview
SuccessorAtlantic Coast Line Railroad
Technical
Track gauge5 ft (1,524 mm)

History

The Conway Seashore Railroad was chartered by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1899.[1] It began operation in 1900 and in 1904 the name of the carrier was changed to the Conway Coast and Western Railroad.[2]

Myrtle Beach station (built by the Atlantic Coast Line in 1937)

The Conway Seashore was bought by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) in 1912, who had previously bought the Wilmington, Chadbourn and Conway Railroad in 1898. This gave the ACL a continuous route from their main line at Elrod, North Carolina to Myrtle Beach via Chadbourn, North Carolina and Conway, which was then known as their Conway and Myrtle Beach Branch. The ACL operated both freight and passenger service to Myrtle Beach.[3]

The Atlantic Coast Line became the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in 1967 after merging with their former rival, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad. The Seaboard Coast Line Railroad designated the line as the Myrtle Beach Subdivision.[4] In 1980, the Seaboard Coast Line's parent company merged with the Chessie System, creating the CSX Corporation. The CSX Corporation initially operated the Chessie and Seaboard Systems separately until 1986, when they were merged into CSX Transportation.

Current operation

Today, the line is still in place and it is owned by the R.J. Corman Railroad Group[5] R.J. Corman acquired the line and restored freight service up to Pine Island in 2015. However, tracks to Myrtle Beach proper are inactive since the bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway between Pine Island and Myrtle Beach is currently inoperable.[6]

Stations
Milepost[4] City/Location Station[7][8] Connections and notes
ACH 336.1 Conway Conway rebuilt in 1928[9]
junction with Wilmington, Chadbourn and Conway Railroad (ACL)
ACH 346.1 Pine Island
ACH 350.1 Myrtle Beach Myrtle Beach rebuilt in 1937[10]

References
  1. South Carolina Railroads, Conway and Seacoast Railroad Archived 2008-12-01 at the Wayback Machine
  2. South Carolina Railroads, Conway and Seashore Railroad Archived 2008-12-01 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Northern Division Timetable (1949)
  4. Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Rocky Mount & Raleigh Division Timetable (1975)
  5. "Carolina Lines". R.J. Corman Railroad Group. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  6. "The Pine Island Drawbridge, Myrtle Beach SC". Myrtle Beach Homes and Lifestyles. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  7. "South Carolina Railroads: Passenger Stations & Stops" (PDF). Jim Fergusson's Railway and Tramway Station Lists (South Carolina). Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  8. "North Carolina Railroads: Passenger Stations & Stops" (PDF). Jim Fergusson's Railway and Tramway Station Lists (North Carolina). Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  9. "South Carolina Department of Archives and History". National Register Properties in South Carolina: Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot, Horry County (U.S. Hwy. 701, Conway), including two photos. South Carolina Department of Archives and History. 2010-06-19.
  10. "South Carolina Department of Archives and History". National Register Properties in South Carolina: Myrtle Beach Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Station, Horry County (jct. of Oak St. and Broadway, btw. Jackson St. and 8th Ave., Myrtle Beach), including 11 photos. South Carolina Department of Archives and History. 2010-06-19.
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