South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company
Encyclopedia
Chartered in 1827, the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company ran scheduled steam service over its 136 miles (218.9 km) line from Charleston, South Carolina
, to Hamburg, South Carolina. beginning in 1833. At that time it was the longest railroad in the world. It was also known as the Charleston and Hamburg Railroad, although it is unclear if that was a legal name, a subsidiary name, or just a nickname. In 1844, this line merged with the South Carolina Rail Road
, which had replaced the abortive Louisville, Cincinnati and Charleston Railroad
in December 1843.
in the early 19th century, the relatively remote South Carolina
upcountry enjoyed a vast expansion in the value of its agricultural produce. Overland transport by wagon was slow and expensive, so this produce tended to go to Augusta, Georgia
, then down the Savannah River
to the seaport at Savannah, Georgia
. The SCC&RR Company was chartered in 1827 to divert this commerce to Charleston by means of connections to Columbia, Camden and Hamburg. Despite its novelty the project was pursued by its Charleston leaders with aggressive method, public demonstrations encouraging support for the daring concept of a steam-driven railroad. Under William Aiken as the first president, six miles (10 km) of line were completed at Charleston in 1830. The first run over the entire line was celebrated in October 1833.
The line was a commercial success despite price competition against riverborne traffic and later railroad projects in Georgia. Its initial cost of $951,148 was doubled by early way improvements, at that price still quite economical. This satisfying position blew up in the course of an overly ambitious overmountain expansion under the name of the Louisville, Cincinnati and Charleston Railroad. The SCC&RR successfully weathered the Panic of 1837
and overhanging debt from the busted LC&CRR, but not without a retrenchment that continued through the next decade.
The SCC&RR was fortunate in its chief engineer, Horatio Allen
, who had already toured English railroads, and drove the Stourbridge Lion
on its first and only run in America. Allen argued successfully before the SCC&RR directors for immediate adoption of steam locomotion, stating that the power of horses was known and would never increase, but the future power of locomotives was beyond imagination. The first locomotive was the Best Friend of Charleston
of 1830; by 1834 the line had purchased a total of 15 locomotives and scheduled one daily run in each direction.
The way consisted of flat strap iron fastened to continuous timber sills. Much of the way passed easily through South Carolina's monotonously flat Pine Barrens. Elsewhere, the track was elevated - frequently over long distances - on timber pilings. A drop of 180 ft (54.9 m) over a 3800 ft (1,158.2 m) run into Horse Creek Valley required an inclined plane, with a steam-powered winch later replaced by a locomotive used as a counterweight. Delays at this archaic bottleneck brought about the railroad town of Aiken, South Carolina
, as a stopover place.
The line was built with 16 equally spaced turnouts each with a water pump and timber shed. A maintenance station responsible for perhaps eight miles (13 km) of track was based at each turnout. The station overseer surveyed half of that track daily, and effected minor repairs such as making secure loose bars of iron, punching down protruding spikeheads, chamfering wheel flange rubs off the rails, ramming earth around the piles, and so on. The overseer was also responsible for maintaining adequate supplies of water and timber at the station, and for calling on the Superintending Engineer for nonroutine derangements.
Timber pilings had allowed the SCC&RR to build their line quickly and cheaply, especially in comparison with northern lines such as the Baltimore and Ohio that tended to overbuild. Nevertheless by 1834 the pilings began to rot at the ground line, and were supplanted by earthen embankments made by dumping dirt over the side (encasing and preserving some of the longleaf pine structures to this day). Beginning in 1836 the flat strap rails were replaced with "T" rails.
Wood rot was an early maintenance evil. By 1841 a surface treatment called Kyanizing
was found to be helpful, and shortly thereafter the cheaper (and less dangerous) Earlizing with copper and iron sulphates was adopted.
Novel and clumsily designed locomotives were a great expense with generally half of the large fleet laid up for repairs, modification or breaking up. These early machines suffered from slightness in the drive wheels, axles and valve gear, and from unequal distribution of weight, a serious problem given the questionable track they ran on. Inside actions were eventually converted to outside. The early eight-wheeled locomotives shared these problems along with overly weak frames, but otherwise were appreciated for greater power and less injury to the road. With limited facilities in an agricultural economy, all of these shortcoming resulted in long outages. Through 1834, locomotives had been purchased from six different suppliers.
The original line generally paralleled U.S. Route 78 and remained in service until the 1980s. The downtowns of many railroad towns such as Warrenton, Williston and Blackville are still marked by railroad esplanades frequently with elevated causeways.
In accordance with the original charter, a 60 miles (96.6 km) line from Branchville to Columbia was built by the LC&CRR, and opened in 1842.
William Aiken House and Associated Railroad Structures
is a historic district
in Charleston
, South Carolina
, that contains structures of the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company and the home of the company's founder, William Aiken
. These structures are considered "nationally significant" in relation to the history of the development of the railroad industry in the United States
. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History states that the structures in this district "represent the best extant collection of antebellum
railroad structures illustrating the development of an early railroad terminal facility."
The railroad company with which they are associated was the first to use steam
from the beginning of its operations, use an American-made locomotive
, and carry U.S. mail. When it began operation in 1833 it had the greatest length of track in the world under single management.
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The district was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1963. Contributing structures in the district include:
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, to Hamburg, South Carolina. beginning in 1833. At that time it was the longest railroad in the world. It was also known as the Charleston and Hamburg Railroad, although it is unclear if that was a legal name, a subsidiary name, or just a nickname. In 1844, this line merged with the South Carolina Rail Road
South Carolina Rail Road
The South Carolina Railroad was the direct successor of the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company, which had operated its 136-mile line from Charleston, South Carolina, to Hamburg, South Carolina, since 1833...
, which had replaced the abortive Louisville, Cincinnati and Charleston Railroad
Louisville, Cincinnati and Charleston Railroad
The Louisville, Cincinnati and Charleston Railroad was an antebellum railroad that served the Southeastern United States.The Louisville, Cincinnati and Charleston was chartered in 1836 to construct a railroad from an intersection with the Charleston and Hamburg Railroad to a point on the Ohio River...
in December 1843.
History
With the advent of cottonCotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
in the early 19th century, the relatively remote South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
upcountry enjoyed a vast expansion in the value of its agricultural produce. Overland transport by wagon was slow and expensive, so this produce tended to go to Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
, then down the Savannah River
Savannah River
The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the northernmost part of the border...
to the seaport at Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
. The SCC&RR Company was chartered in 1827 to divert this commerce to Charleston by means of connections to Columbia, Camden and Hamburg. Despite its novelty the project was pursued by its Charleston leaders with aggressive method, public demonstrations encouraging support for the daring concept of a steam-driven railroad. Under William Aiken as the first president, six miles (10 km) of line were completed at Charleston in 1830. The first run over the entire line was celebrated in October 1833.
The line was a commercial success despite price competition against riverborne traffic and later railroad projects in Georgia. Its initial cost of $951,148 was doubled by early way improvements, at that price still quite economical. This satisfying position blew up in the course of an overly ambitious overmountain expansion under the name of the Louisville, Cincinnati and Charleston Railroad. The SCC&RR successfully weathered the Panic of 1837
Panic of 1837
The Panic of 1837 was a financial crisis or market correction in the United States built on a speculative fever. The end of the Second Bank of the United States had produced a period of runaway inflation, but on May 10, 1837 in New York City, every bank began to accept payment only in specie ,...
and overhanging debt from the busted LC&CRR, but not without a retrenchment that continued through the next decade.
Early engineering
Horatio Allen
Horatio Allen LL.D was an American civil engineer and inventor.Born in Schenectady, New York, he graduated from Columbia in 1823, and was appointed the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company chief engineer. In 1828 he was sent to England to buy locomotives for the canal company's projected railway...
, who had already toured English railroads, and drove the Stourbridge Lion
Stourbridge Lion
The Stourbridge Lion was a railroad steam locomotive. It was not only the first locomotive to be operated in the United States, it was also one of the first locomotives to operate outside of England, where it was manufactured in 1828....
on its first and only run in America. Allen argued successfully before the SCC&RR directors for immediate adoption of steam locomotion, stating that the power of horses was known and would never increase, but the future power of locomotives was beyond imagination. The first locomotive was the Best Friend of Charleston
Best Friend of Charleston
The Best Friend of Charleston was a steam-powered railroad locomotive. It is widely acclaimed as the first locomotive to be built entirely within the United States. It also produced the first locomotive boiler explosion in the US.- History :...
of 1830; by 1834 the line had purchased a total of 15 locomotives and scheduled one daily run in each direction.
The way consisted of flat strap iron fastened to continuous timber sills. Much of the way passed easily through South Carolina's monotonously flat Pine Barrens. Elsewhere, the track was elevated - frequently over long distances - on timber pilings. A drop of 180 ft (54.9 m) over a 3800 ft (1,158.2 m) run into Horse Creek Valley required an inclined plane, with a steam-powered winch later replaced by a locomotive used as a counterweight. Delays at this archaic bottleneck brought about the railroad town of Aiken, South Carolina
Aiken, South Carolina
Aiken is a city in and the county seat of Aiken County, South Carolina, United States. With Augusta, Georgia, it is one of the two largest cities of the Central Savannah River Area. It is part of the Augusta-Richmond County Metropolitan Statistical Area. Aiken is home to the University of South...
, as a stopover place.
The line was built with 16 equally spaced turnouts each with a water pump and timber shed. A maintenance station responsible for perhaps eight miles (13 km) of track was based at each turnout. The station overseer surveyed half of that track daily, and effected minor repairs such as making secure loose bars of iron, punching down protruding spikeheads, chamfering wheel flange rubs off the rails, ramming earth around the piles, and so on. The overseer was also responsible for maintaining adequate supplies of water and timber at the station, and for calling on the Superintending Engineer for nonroutine derangements.
Timber pilings had allowed the SCC&RR to build their line quickly and cheaply, especially in comparison with northern lines such as the Baltimore and Ohio that tended to overbuild. Nevertheless by 1834 the pilings began to rot at the ground line, and were supplanted by earthen embankments made by dumping dirt over the side (encasing and preserving some of the longleaf pine structures to this day). Beginning in 1836 the flat strap rails were replaced with "T" rails.
Wood rot was an early maintenance evil. By 1841 a surface treatment called Kyanizing
Mercury(II) chloride
Mercury chloride or mercuric chloride , is the chemical compound with the formula HgCl2. This white crystalline solid is a laboratory reagent and a molecular compound. It is no longer used for medicinal purposes Mercury(II) chloride or mercuric chloride (formerly corrosive sublimate), is the...
was found to be helpful, and shortly thereafter the cheaper (and less dangerous) Earlizing with copper and iron sulphates was adopted.
Novel and clumsily designed locomotives were a great expense with generally half of the large fleet laid up for repairs, modification or breaking up. These early machines suffered from slightness in the drive wheels, axles and valve gear, and from unequal distribution of weight, a serious problem given the questionable track they ran on. Inside actions were eventually converted to outside. The early eight-wheeled locomotives shared these problems along with overly weak frames, but otherwise were appreciated for greater power and less injury to the road. With limited facilities in an agricultural economy, all of these shortcoming resulted in long outages. Through 1834, locomotives had been purchased from six different suppliers.
The original line generally paralleled U.S. Route 78 and remained in service until the 1980s. The downtowns of many railroad towns such as Warrenton, Williston and Blackville are still marked by railroad esplanades frequently with elevated causeways.
Branches
ColumbiaIn accordance with the original charter, a 60 miles (96.6 km) line from Branchville to Columbia was built by the LC&CRR, and opened in 1842.
National Historic Landmark in Charleston
William Aiken House and Associated Railroad Structures
William Aiken House and Associated Railroad Structures is a historic district in Charleston, South Carolina, that contains structures of South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company and the home of the company's founder, William Aiken...
is a historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
in Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, that contains structures of the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company and the home of the company's founder, William Aiken
William Aiken
William Aiken, Jr. was the 61st Governor of South Carolina. He served from 1844 to 1846.He was the son of William Aiken, the first president of the pioneering South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company. Unfortunately, William Sr. was killed in a Charleston carriage accident and never saw his...
. These structures are considered "nationally significant" in relation to the history of the development of the railroad industry in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History states that the structures in this district "represent the best extant collection of antebellum
Antebellum architecture
Antebellum architecture is a term used to describe the characteristic neoclassical architectural style of the Southern United States, especially the Old South, from after the birth of the United States in the American Revolution, to the start of the American Civil War...
railroad structures illustrating the development of an early railroad terminal facility."
The railroad company with which they are associated was the first to use steam
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
from the beginning of its operations, use an American-made locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
, and carry U.S. mail. When it began operation in 1833 it had the greatest length of track in the world under single management.
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1963. Contributing structures in the district include:
- William Aiken House, built in 1807. An octagonal wing added in 1831 but damaged in 1886 earthquake, and certain woodwork was removed in 1931. A servants wing is unchanged.
- A coach house at the back of gardens on the William Aiken House property
- Camden Depot, a railroad depot
- Deans Warehouse, built in 1856
- South Carolina Railroad Warehouse
- Tower Passenger Depot
- Line Street Car and Carpenter Shops
- Railroad Right-of-Way
- "Best Friend of Charleston" Replica, a replica of the first American-made steam locomotive
External links
- The South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company
- 1833 South Carolina Transportation Map
- 1880 South Carolina Railroad Map
- Branchville - The First Railroad Junction
- William Aiken House and Associated Railroad Structures, Charleston County (456 King St., Charleston), including 13 photos, at South Carolina Department of Archives and History
- South Carolina Railroad-Southern Railway Company, 456 King Street, Charleston, Charleston County, SC: 31 photos, 2 data pages, and related Carriage House, 456 King Street: 2 photos at Historic American Building Survey
- South Carolina Railroad-Southern Railway Company, Camden Depot, Anne Street, Charleston, Charleston County, SC: 4 photos, and related South Carolina Railroad-Southern Railway Company, Warehouse, 42 John Street: 1 photo at Historic American Building Survey