(rshsdepot) North Carolina Railroad Company Shops Station Dedication Event Is August 19 in Burlington

["Bernie Wagenblast" <brwagenblast_@_comcast.net>]

North Carolina Railroad Company Shops Station Dedication Event Is August 19
in Burlington

RALEIGH, N.C., Aug. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The only remaining original building
of the North Carolina Railroad's Company Shops complex is set to be
officially dedicated on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 at 10:00 am at the
building's 101 North Main Street address.  Company Shops was a railroad
maintenance and repair community, dating to the 1870s, that was renamed
Burlington when the railroad facility was moved to Spencer, NC.  The Company
Shops building, which once served as the engine repair house for the North
Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR), has been redeveloped to serve as Alamance
County's passenger rail station, with commercial space available for lease,
some of which is already occupied by a division of the City of Burlington's
Police Department.

"The redevelopment and reuse of Company Shops Station is a vital step
forward for Burlington, NCRR and the state," says Brad Wilson, NCRR Chairman
of the Board.  "The building was a keystone in the development of the city
when it was known as Company Shops.  Today, it is our hope that it will once
again serve as the catalyst for redevelopment and revitalization of this
part of Burlington.  That the same building could play an important role in
economic development in two different eras is remarkable and exciting and
accurately reflects the vision and mission of the NCRR.  We are grateful
that the people of Burlington have shared our enthusiasm for this project."

The Dedication event is open to the public and will feature former Governor
Jim Hunt as the keynote speaker.  North Carolina Secretary of Transportation
Lyndo Tippett, Burlington Mayor Joseph P. Barbour and Charles Canaday,
Chairman of the Alamance County Area Chamber of Commerce, will also speak.

The 17,300 square foot Company Shops Station was built in the 1870s and
could accommodate 15 engines.  The doors were wide enough for trains to pass
through.  Light for the engine work came from skylights and large windows.
Much of the original brick has been hand-cleaned and reused in the current
structure.  Architect William D. Moser, of Moser, Mayer Phoenix Associates,
designed the restoration and renovation project for NCRR.

A fire in June of 1918 burned all the remaining Company Shops buildings
except the engine house.  The building passed through several different
companies and was used for a variety of purposes; most recently plumbing
supplies were stored there. Plans to restore the building were put into
motion in 2001 and the project was completed in July with income from NCRR's
railroad lease with Norfolk Southern Railway.

The North Carolina Railroad Company owns and manages the 317-mile rail
corridor from Morehead City to Charlotte that serves as the backbone of the
state's rail system.  The railroad carries more than 60 freight trains
operated by Norfolk Southern and eight Amtrak passenger trains daily.  NCRR
is owned by the State of North Carolina and operated as a private company.
The NCRR's mission is to manage, improve and protect the state's rail
properties and corridors in a manner that will enhance freight and passenger
service and promote economic development.

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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #725
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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org