The Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta Railroad was formed in 1869 with the merger of the
Charlotte and South Carolina Railroad
The Charlotte and South Carolina Railroad began in 1852 and operated until 1869, when it was absorbed by Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta Railroad. The line ran between Charlotte, North Carolina and Columbia, South Carolina. It was the first carri ...
and the
Columbia and Augusta Railroad.
Route
The combined line stretched for over between
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
, and
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navig ...
.
;Stations
[http://railga.com/charlcol70tt.html]
*
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
, 0 miles
** 0 kilometers
* Morrow's (Now Pineville), 11
**
* Fort Mills, 18
**
*
Rock Hill, 26
**
* Smith's, 35
**
* Lewis, 38
**
*
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
, 45
**
* Cornwall's, 53
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* Black Stock, 57
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* Yonguesville, 60
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* White Oak, 64
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* Adger's, 67
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*
Winnsboro, 72
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* Simpson's, 78
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*
Ridgeway, 84
**
* Doko, 91
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* Killian's, 97
**
*
Columbia, 107
**
*
Lexington, 124
**
* Gilbert Hollow, 134
**
*
Leesville, 141
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* Batesville, 143
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*
Ridge Spring, 153
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Johnston, 162
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* Mile's Mill, 173
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*
Graniteville, 183
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*
Augusta, 195 miles
**
Track gauge
Originally, the line had a
track gauge
In rail transport, track gauge (in American English, alternatively track gage) is the distance between the two rails of a railway track. All vehicles on a rail network must have wheelsets that are compatible with the track gauge. Since many d ...
of , but that was
changed to in 1886.
[Manual of the Railroads of the United States, Vol. 22, Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta Railroad, page 614](_blank)
/ref>
Ownership changes
The railroad was acquired by the Richmond and Danville Railroad
The Richmond and Danville Railroad (R&D) Company was a railroad that operated independently from 1847 until 1894, first in the U.S. state of Virginia, and later on of track in nine states.
Chartered on March 9, 1847, the railroad completed its ...
in 1878 and officially merged into the Richmond & Danville in 1882. The latter went into receivership in 1892 and the Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta was foreclosed in the following year.[''Federal Reporter'', Southern Railway Co. v. Bouknight, November 7, 1895, page 444](_blank)
/ref> It was sold to Southern Railway on July 10, 1894.
Tickets
The Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta Railroad printed fare tickets in $1, $2, $5 and $10 denominations that resembled US currency with the vignette of a steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...
on the front. The $1 fare ticket was good for one person for 20 miles. The $2 fare was good for two people 20 miles. The $5 fare was good for one person 100 miles and the $10 fare was good for two people 100 miles. Many businesses along the railroad would accept the railroad fare notes as currency for goods.
References
Defunct Georgia (U.S. state) railroads
Defunct North Carolina railroads
Defunct South Carolina railroads
Predecessors of the Southern Railway (U.S.)
Railway companies established in 1869
Railway companies disestablished in 1894
1869 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
5 ft gauge railways in the United States
American companies established in 1869
{{GeorgiaUS-transport-stub