Train buffs and railroad insiders from around the country gathered in Moore County Sunday for the inaugural run of Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railwayâs (ACWR) restored 70-year old locomotives.
The eye-catching sunflower yellow and magenta paint scheme stands apart from the dark green hues of the companyâs regular fleet of freight engines. Instead it was designed specifically to compliment ACWRâs special train of vintage passenger cars.
âWe wanted it to pop,â said ACWR president Jennifer White.
Headquartered in Candor, ACWR is an economic lifeline for the region as the largest privately-owned Class III short line railroad in North Carolina. Its 150 miles of track crisscross six counties and multiple connections to CSX and Norfolk Southern lines. The railway serves approximately 18 industries, transporting materials such as plastics, dimensional lumber, wood chips, aggregate, brick, butane, ethanol and propane.