Southern Railway's Spencer Shops facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Southern Railway Spencer Shops
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Spencer Shops turntable service facility
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 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | Spencer, North Carolina |
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| Area | 57 acres (23 ha) |
| Built | 1896 |
| Built by | Southern Railway Co. |
| NRHP reference No. | 78001972 |
| Added to NRHP | March 17, 1978 |
The Southern Railway's Spencer Shops was a huge place where steam locomotives were fixed. It was located in Spencer, North Carolina. This facility was the biggest repair center for the Southern Railway. It was a very busy and important place in the early 1900s.
These big repair centers were often called "back shops." They were where trains went for major fixes. The Spencer Shops were named after Samuel Spencer, who was the first president of the Southern Railway. The town of Spencer also got its name from him.
The Spencer Shops were near Salisbury, North Carolina. Over time, trains changed from steam to diesel locomotives. Because of this, the Spencer Shops slowly closed down between the 1950s and 1970s. Today, the old Spencer Shops is part of the North Carolina Transportation Museum.
Contents
How Spencer Shops Started
Building a New Railroad
In 1894, a new company called the Southern Railway Company was formed. This happened after an older railroad system had money problems. A smart railroad expert named Samuel Spencer was chosen to lead this new company. It became one of the biggest railroads in the United States.
Need for More Repair Shops
When the Southern Railway started, it had two main repair shops. One was in Atlanta, and the other was in Knoxville, Tennessee. Many of the trains they got from the old companies needed a lot of repairs. The two existing shops couldn't handle all the work.
Samuel Spencer saw that these shops were not good enough. He realized they needed a third big repair shop. This new shop would be located between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. This way, repair stops would be about 160 miles (257 km) apart. Trains could be checked, fixed, and refueled at these points.
Finding the Right Land
To build the new shop, the Southern Railway needed a lot of land. A man named John Steele Henderson helped them. He was a well-known person in Rowan County. He secretly bought large pieces of land near Salisbury, North Carolina. He did this so that people wouldn't raise the prices if they knew the railroad wanted the land.
In January 1896, Henderson started buying land about two miles (3 km) north of Salisbury. This land was right on the Southern Railroad's main line. He then sold most of it back to the railroad for almost the same price he paid. Henderson also made money by selling some of his own land to people who came to work at the shops.
Workers started digging for the new shops on March 23, 1896. Samuel Spencer officially opened the Spencer Shops on August 19, 1896.
The Town of Spencer
The Spencer Shops needed thousands of skilled workers. These workers included engineers, firemen, and conductors. Many of them decided to live in the area. This led to the creation of the town of Spencer.
The Southern Railway first divided 84 acres (34 hectares) of land into 500 small plots. These plots were for homes and businesses. Each plot sold for $100. In 1901, the 625 people living in Spencer were officially recognized as a town by North Carolina.
Images for kids
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Inside a train repair shop at Spencer
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Words of advice on the side of a building
