North Carolina Transportation Museum
North Carolina Transportation Museum

Author: Alan Coleman

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 96

ISBN-13: 1467127752

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"Established in 1896, Spencer Shops was the Southern Railway's largest steam locomotive repair facility. After five decades of providing thousands of jobs to craftsmen and laborers, Spencer Shops and its company town became a victim of technology as diesel-electrics replaced steam locomotives. By August 1960, Spencer Shops had all but ceased operation, its workforce dwindling to a level 95 percent smaller than it had been in the early 1950s. Even as rust and pigeons ruled the largely abandoned complex, a dedicated group of state officials and railroad enthusiasts saw its promise as a state historic site. After years of hard work, Spencer Shops experienced its rebirth with the creation of the North Carolina Transportation Museum (NCTM) in 1977. Today, the impressive facility celebrates not only the rich history of Spencer but also the wide array of transportation history in the Tar Heel State."--Publisher.

Southern Railway's Historic Spencer Shops
Southern Railway's Historic Spencer Shops

Author: Larry K. Neal, Jr.

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 9780738587806

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Southern Railway's Spencer Shops was a vibrant part of the Southeast's transportation network for more than 80 years. Starting in the late 1800s and continuing until its closure in 1979, the shop complex and its accompanying yards, transfer sheds, and stockyards constituted a major force in the economy of North Carolina and Southern states. The trains that the shop prepared were hauling everyday freight--Appalachian lumber, Piedmont textiles, and perishables--or were famous passenger trains like the Crescent, the Peach Queen, and many more. Others were more notable, such as the locomotive in the folk ballad "The Wreck of the Old 97" or President Roosevelt's funeral train in 1945. The Spencer Shops was an industrial power whose prominence today is celebrated in its continued role as the home to the North Carolina Transportation Museum. This book tells the story of how Spencer Shops came to be, its role in transportation, and its continued use today as a North Carolina Historic Site.