A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE WILMINGTON RAILROAD MUSEUM
For more than a century, railroading was Wilmington's chief
industry. In 1840 the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad was
completed and was the longest continuous rail line in the world at 161
miles long.
Near the turn of the century several
railroads up and down the eastern seaboard, including the Wilmington
& Weldon, merged to become the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad.
The ACL company headquarters was located here in Wilmington.
During
its heyday the railroad was referred to as the "aorta” of
Wilmington. It contributed to the area's commercial and
industrial growth and provided jobs and revenue for the local
economy. In 1960 the Atlantic Coast Line moved its headquarters
from Wilmington to Jacksonville, Florida. It was the largest
single move of employees ever staged by a southeastern industry.
The railroad moved over 1,000 employees, their families, their
belongings, and the company files and office equipment over 450 miles
by rail.
Started in 1980 with two women and a table of ACL
Railroad artifacts, the Wilmington Railroad Museum is dedicated to
preserving the rich history of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and the
history of railroading in the southeastern United States.
Your
Wilmington Railroad Museum has an extensive library of railroading
history. A few of the available articles are repeated here.
To research the full set of available information please visit the
museum.