NC RAILWAY QUIZ

The following quiz appeared in the August 2007 issue of Our State Magazine. See how well you can do with it. No fair using the magazine to look up the answers. They will be posted here before Christmas.

Abridged Railways
See how many railroad lines in our state you can name.
by Alan Hodge**

1. Serving the northeastern corner of our state and Norfolk, Virginia, the C&A Railroad began operating in 1990 when it leased 73 miles of line from Norfolk Southern. This short-line railway carries about 800,000 tons of commodities like fertilizer and lumber each year and goes by what full name?
    A. Chesapeake and Atlantic Railroad
    B. Carolina and Atlantic Railroad
    C. Chesapeake and Albemarle Railroad

2. The N.C. Railroad Museum in Wake County operates its own rail line that offers round-trip rides from Bonsal to New Hill. Started in 1982 by the East Carolina Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, the line, with the acronym NHVRy, goes by what name?
    A. New Hill Volunteer Railway
    B. New Hope Volunteer Railway
    C. New Hope Valley Railway

3. Often referred to as the "Lifeline of the Confederacy," the railroad later known as the W&WRR began operating a line from Wilmington to Halifax County on the Roanoke River as early as 1840. During the Civil War, the rails carried vital supplies to the Confederate Army at Richmond and Petersburg. Name this important logistical link.
    A. Wilmington and Weldon Railroad
    B. Wilmington and Wilson Railroad
    C. Wilmington and Winton Railroad

4. Reflecting on how hard life could be in the mountain region of our state, some folks said the acronym for the ET&WNC railroad stood for "eat taters and wear no clothes." Name this railway that was the source of the legendary 1917 Baldwin locomotive now known affectionately as Tweetsie.
    A. East Transylvania and Western North Carolina
    B. East Tennessee and Western North Carolina
    C. East Townsend and Western North Carolina

5. Cleveland County was the location for a unique nine-mile-long narrow-gauge railway founded by Major Henry Franklin Schenck in 1899. It operated until 1945, carrying passengers as well as products from his cotton mill. This railway, whose acronym was LRR, took what name after its hometown?
    A. Lattimore Railway
    B. Lenoir Railroad
    C. Lawndale Railway and Industrial Co.

6. One of the most unusual railways in North Carolina operated electric-powered trolleys on seven miles of track from 1895 to 1905 at one of our state's top resorts. Name this railway that carried people for five cents, shipped peaches for two cents a crate, and went by the acronym PERR.
    A. Pinehurst Electric Railway
    B. Pinetops Electric Railway
    C. Pisgah Elevated Railroad

7. Serving the Sandhills region since 1892, this railroad is still owned by founder John Blue's family. With five locomotives that serve more than 25 local industries, what railway has the acronym A&R?
    A. Ahoskie and Raleigh
    B. Aberdeen and Rockfish
    C. Albertson and Richlands

8. For an unforgettable rail excursion, visit Dillsboro or Bryson City. With about 50 miles of track running rhought two tunnels and across 25 bridges, what railroad with the acronym GSMR transports more than 200,000 riders each year?
    A. Great Southern Mountains Railway
    B. Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
    C. Greentop-Satulah Mountain Railway

9. Begun in 1987, the ACWR serves counties from Mecklenburg to Chatham. What is the name of the company that hauls more than 1 million tons of goods each year?
    A. Aberdeen, Carolina, and Western Railway
    B. Atlantic Charlotte Western Railroad
    C. Aberdeen Charlotte Winton Railroad

10. What company, whose acronym was W&R, was incorporated in 1840 and had, at 161 miles, what was then the longest stretch of track in the world?
    A. Wilmington and Raleigh
    B. Washington and Raleigh
    C. Wilmington and Rock Mount

Answers are posted here. Enjoy.

** Copyright by Alan Hodge and Our State Magazine. Used by permission.

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