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The "Dinky" |
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Evaluations of Accomplishments |
THE STORY OF THE QUILT SQUARE, THE DINKY - ON THE "A" AND
"W" RAILROAD, BY MT. PISGAH EXTENSION HOMEMAKERS CLUB FOR
HARNETT COUNTY HISTORICAL QUILT, 1989 The Dinky -on the " A" and "W" Railroad The
quilt square with the picture of the motor car, locally called the
"jitney" or "dinky", belonged to and traveled on the
A & W (Atlantic and Western) Railroad, which ran its 24 mile journey
twice daily from Sanford to Lillington. The "jitney" served as
a passenger car and carried U. S. mail between the two destinations. It
was operated by gasoline. Stops between Lillington and Sanford included
Summerville, Mamers, Arlington, Ryes, Seminole, Broadway, and Jonesboro
and any place where passengers needed to be picked up. Tickets could be
purchased at the depots. Passenger service was at its height during the
'20's, '30's and early '40's. The
story of the railroad and the nostalgic motor car began when the A &
W Railroad was incorporated in 1889 and started in 1903, at which time
two miles of track bad been laid from Sanford to Jonesboro. By 1905 the
line extended to Broadway. It took eight more years to get to Lillington
in 1913. The A & W train carried mostly lumber at first, but later
carried petroleum, fertilizer, and coal. During World War II, it carried
many tons of sand and gravel. The
passenger and U. S. Mail Service on the ",jitney" or
"dinky" began in September 1917. It was discontinued about
1950, when buses for the mail and family cars for the people became more
numerous. The
railroad and motor cars were built by Edwards Motor Company of Sanford
(later known as Saco-Lowell) under the leadership of Mr. H. P. Edwards.
He sold the railroad to Mr. E. T. Ussry
of Sanford. Operators of the "jitney" and train included Mr.
Paul Kelly and Mr. Fred Weaver. Mr. Kelly was the conductor, and Mr.
Weaver was also conductor and did most of the mechanical work. Depot
agents included Mr. W. R. Cranford at Lillington, Mr. N. D. Bradley and
later his wife, Alice B. Bradley, at Broadway, and Mr. T. L. Riddle, Mr.
Frank Ussry, Mrs. Nan Huckans, Mrs. Pauline Collins, and others in
Sanford. Mrs. Collins worked for the A & W Railroad for thirty-three
years. As a tribute, Mrs. Collins wrote the following poem about the A
& W Railroad. THE HISTORIC A &
W Memories
that linger within my mind, Hold
pictures of old trains and tickets I find, Of
a Short Line Railroad that was built by hand, Including
a turntable, roundhouse and plenty of land. A
coal burning steam engine chugged down the line, Little
red caboose following not far behind, The
murmur of wheels echoes along the way, Carrying
freight, passengers and mail each day. Brakeman
flagging with his gasoline light, All
clear on the line, not a thing in sight! Cow-catcher
out front for safety sake Adds
beauty that we will always partake. As
you rounded the curve at Italy Hill, Sparks
started flying and brakes began to squeal, Steam
engines boiler steaming hot, The
old gravel pit will be our next stop. Moving
on from Lillington, Mamers and Seminole, At
5 miles per hour, a derailment, behold! Then
Broadway, Jonesboro we begin to slow, Engineer
Kelly, the whistle he'll blow! Old timers recall the day a World
War II corpse arrived And
the day Runaway train stopped just in time Homeward
bound for Sanford yards Upsetting
passengers and baggage flying. Edwards,
Huffer and Ussery labored and saved So
the next generation would have it made. Abandoned 20 miles of track
account business decline Purchased
a modern electric diesel and retired. Under
leadership of Proctor, Joyce and Reeves Changes
were made to meet Sanfordians needs. Installed
flashing light signals as traffic grew Leased
some ATW boxcars to help pull us through. The
day has come to bring us up to date Senator
Helms and others purchased old No. 8 Gave
it to a Youth Camp where joy still prevails. We
shed a tear when carried from our rails. Old
No. 12 in the square on display, Hundreds
view it several times a day, Replaced
by a Diesel to keep up with the times Steam
jobs faded as business declined. Young,
and old exploit the grandiose sights. The
Historic Bell rings day and night! Climb
aboard and reminisce with friends, Such
as Hal Siler, Lawyer Hoyle and Uncle Sam. The
Old Depot on Chatham Street still stands Tariffs,
magazines and spittoon around Alas!
The Office Staff Has a beautiful spacious place
beside the R. R. Track, at last. -Pauline
M. Collins Many
people have found the A & W Railroad and its motor car fascinating.
The A & W was featured about the year 1981 in "Rail
Classics" Magazine. A toy corporation took the blue prints of the
old A & IN locomotive and manufactured its replica. The toy
locomotive is complete with sliding doors and the A & W logo. The
motor car, locally called the " jitney" or "dinky"
was small, consisting of only one car, but it gave excellent service. It
is a vital and nostalgic part of the history of Harnett and Lee
Counties. Written
by: Myrtle H. Sykes, President Mt.
Pisgah Extension Homemakers Club Sources:
Sanford Chamber of Commerce Sanford
Herald Personal
Knowledge Quilt
Square: Row 1 Number 2 Embroidery
by: Esther Patterson, member Mt.
Pisgah Extension Homemakers Club
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