Category: Transportation

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Waccamaw Coast Line Railroad Tracks & Ties

The the remaining tracks of an abandoned railroad make for interesting scenery.

The Waccamaw Coast Line Railroad use to carry passengers and freight from Conway to Myrtle Beach. The line has been abandoned since the 1990’s but the remaining tracks make for interesting scenery. The old railroad bridge cannot be seen in this particular view but it’s out there. You can visit this scene while walking the Riverwalk along the Waccamaw River as it flows through Conway, South Carolina.

Waccamaw Coast Line Railroad Abandoned Tracks
Waccamaw Coast Line Railroad Abandoned Tracks

The next time I am in Conway, I plan to hike along this old railbed to cross the river and photograph the old swing-bridge. The photograph below is in black and white which helps bring out the texture of the decaying railroad ties and the overgrowth of trees and brush that is reclaiming this thoroughfare – taking it back to nature.

Waccamaw Coast Line Railroad Abandoned Tracks Monochrome
Waccamaw Coast Line Railroad Abandoned Tracks in Black and White

Use the links below to see more of these images and how they look on different wall art substrates. There are prints, framed prints, canvas presentations, acrylic and more.

Link: Waccamaw Coast Line Railroad Abandoned Tracks

Link: Waccamaw Coast Line Railroad Abandoned Tracks Monochrome

Link to: Bill’s full Pictorem Gallery

Link to: Bill’s full Fine Art American Gallery

Little information remains about the Waccamaw CoastLine Railroad. I could find only bits and pieces of information and one mention of abandoned trackage. The Atlantic Coast Line served this line when it was first constructed by the Waccamaw, Conway & Aynor Railway between 1916 and late 1919 to serve lumber and naval stores traffic. It was then acquired by the ACL in December 1919 and became an extension of the Myrtle Beach Branch. The line survived as a freight only branch until the early 1980’s when passenger service was briefly revived with various excursion trains operated by Inland Rail Tours. At some point the name was changed to Waccamaw Coast Line – probably around 1987 but service continued for only a short time and was discontinued in the early 1990’s.

Overall, the WCL RR was an obscure experiment in intrastate railroading that didn’t last all that long. But at least it had a good run while it lasted, even if only a handful of people were aware of its existence and, that, is what may have been what caused its demise.

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Waccamaw River at Conway South Carolina

An idyllic river scene like this can be found along the Riverwalk at Conway.

The Waccamaw River begins its 140 mile trek toward the sea from Lake Waccamaw in North Carolina to Winyah Bay, an estuary that connects with the Atlantic Ocean near Georgetown, South Carolina. About half way along its journey it flows through Horry County and the City of Conway, SC where this photograph was taken. The river is wide and deep enough to be navigable and was once a watery thoroughfare for steamboats.

Waccamaw River in Conley South Carolina
Waccamaw River in Conley South Carolina

Factoid: The first steamboat to ply the waters of the Waccamaw River was a Confederate troop ship, the Francis Marion.

Black and White waterscape scenes are often quite striking as wall art in the right home decor setting. What do you think – do you like this Black and White presentation?) Please leave a comment below.)

Waccamaw River in Conley South Carolina in Black and White
Waccamaw River in Conley South Carolina in Black and White

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Use the links below to see these images as wall art on a variety of substrates, one of which may just attract your interest.

Link: Waccamaw River in Conway South Carolina

Link: Waccamaw River at Conway in Black and White

Link to: Bill’s full Pictorem Gallery

Link to: Bills Fine Art America Gallery

The Waccamaw, along with the Great Pee Dee, Little Pee Dee and Little Rivers, all served as important transportation routes for Horry County, South Carolina. For Native Americans and early settlers alike, the rivers of this geographic area were essentially the Interstate Highways of today. This area was fortunate to have a navigable river system because it provided Horry County, Conway and environs easy access to the world beyond.

The era of steamboats on the Waccamaw faded about 1920 or so. However the river remains a vibrant natural resource part of the environment and maintains its beauty for people today to enjoy visually and recreationally. You can see vistas like this when strolling along the famous Riverwalk along the riverside in Conway.

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Waccamaw River Memorial Bridge

This historic Bridge in Conway, South Carolina carries travelers across the Waccamaw River.

Built in 1937, the Waccamaw Memorial Bridge (also referred to as the Conway Memorial Bridge) is a historic plate-girder bridge in Conway, Horry County, South Carolina. This plate deck girder bridge, with Gothic-style arches is designated a memorial to Horry County soldiers who served in America’s wars from the Revolution to World War I. This bridge was built to relieve the traffic congestion of the original one-lane bridge as popularity grew for the Grand Strand resort of Myrtle Beach. It was listed under National Register of Historic Places on October 12, 1999.

Conway Memorial Bridge over the Waccamaw River in Conway, Horry County, South Carolina.

This photograph was taken while enjoying a walk along part of the Conway Riverwalk. The Riverwalk is a sculpted boardwalk with railings along much of the town’s waterfront on the Waccamaw River. If you, one day, get to visit Conway, be sure not to miss a stroll along the river. 

Conceived a the height of the Great Depression and at a cost of $370,000, Horry County’s fifth bridge across the Waccamaw River was constructed just prior to the years of World War II. The Waccamaw River Bridge carries Business Route U.S. Highway 501  over top of the Waccamaw River connecting North Conway to Aynor/Yauhannah, South Carolina.

Waccamau River Memorial Bridge in Black and White
The Waccamaw River Memorial Bridge in a Black and White Presentation

Click the photo above or the links below to see wall art with this image along with an assortment of home decor items. 

Link: Waccamaw River Memorial Bridge at Conway, SC

Link: Waccamaw River Memorial Bridge at Conway in Black and White

Link to: Bills Full Gallery at Pictorem (Free Shipping)

Link to: Bill’s Gallery with Fine Art America

What’s that, Myrtle Beach? You’ve been under stress from the lack of a second bridge crossing the Waccamaw River for half a century? Well, we’ve got just the thing to lift your spirits: The Waccamaw River Memorial Bridge! This historic bridge is located in Conway, South Carolina, and carries travelers over the Waccamaw River. It was built in 1937 as a replacement for the original bridge (built in 1921), which could not accommodate all of the travelers to and from Grand Strand resorts. The new bridge was designed as a plate deck girder bridge in a Gothic-style arch with reinforced concrete piers, abutments and wing walls. In 1998, the State of South Carolina designated the bridge as a memorial to Horry County soldiers who served in America’s wars from the Revolution to World War I. This made it one of two bridges in South Carolina with such designation (the other is located near Kingstree). The bridge spans 1,024 feet (312 m) across the river, including approach spans. It measures 16 feet (4.9 m) wide and 8 feet (2.4 m) high.

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CSX Locomotive 5292 in Baltimore

Engine 5292 is seen crossing Warner Street by the Ravens’ Football Stadium.

Photographing near the Warner Street crossing in South Baltimore I caught this CSX 5292 General Electric Evolution Series Locomotive deadheading from the rail yard to who-knows-where. This section of track is the only entrance and egress to the Locust Point terminal and the Riverside Yard of the railroad division of the CSX Corporation in South Baltimore, Maryland. It is a safe place to watch and photograph passing trains and equipment.

CSX Engine 5292 at Warner Street Crossing
CSX Engine 5292 at the Warner Street Crossing Railroad Signal Bridge in South Baltimore

Warner Street is just south of the M&T Bank Stadium, home to Raven’s Football. In the rail photograph below you can actually see how close the stadium is to this railroad/street crossing. This “environmentally friendly” engine produces about 4,000 horsepower is one of the most efficient locomotives on rails today. 

CSX Locomotive 5292 at Raven's Stadium
CSX Engine 5292 with Ravens’ Football M&T Bank Stadium in the background

So what is the “CSX” in the name depict? In 1980 the Chessie System merged with the Seaboard Coast Line and formed the CSX Corporation. Word has it that the “X” is the “multiplier” math symbol and gives the merged companies a multiple of size, strength and service.

Click the links to see more detail and and to shop for wall art and/or a variety of home decor items imprinted with these photographs.

Link: CSX 5292 Warner Street Crossing

Link: CSX 5292 Locomotive in Baltimore

Link to: Bill’s Trains and Railroads Collection at Fine Art America

Link to: Bills Pictorem Gallery (w/ Free Shipping)

Observe above, in wide-angle, the beauty of a CSX Locomotive 5292 General Electric Evolution Series. Engine 5292 is seen crossing Warner Street by the Ravens’ Football Stadium in South Baltimore, Maryland. This photograph is one way to bring back vivid memories of Baltimore’s past and present.