Waccamaw Coast Line

Company History: In 1987, the WCLR took over operation of a 14 mile former Atlantic Coast Line branch between Conway and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The previous operator had been Horry County Railway. WCLR adopted Atlantic Coast Line’s 1950s purple and silver paint scheme. In addition to freight service, they also hosted tourist trains. Waccamaw Coast Line was acquired in 1995 by their sole connecting line, Carolina Southern.

Successor/Parent History: The CALA began in 1995 as a spin off from CSX operating portions of the former Atlantic Coast Line route between Florence, South Carolina and Wilmington, North Carolina. They also took over operation of the Waccamaw Coast Line between Conway and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In total, they had about 95 miles of line and 11 locomotives. The CALA ceased operations in 2012 when a number of bridges on the line failed inspection. The Pippen family still owned the line but they reportedly didn’t have the cash to fix the bridges, had been turned down for grants, and owed Norfolk Southern six figures for overdue per diem charges (for cars stranded on the wrong side of the troubled bridges.) After three years of hand wringing, in 2015 the Carolina Southern was sold to RJ Corman who then repaired the line and resumed service in 2016.

Brief History: The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.