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Wilmington
Railroad Museum |
History of the 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 and the company headquarters were here in Wilmington.
During its heyday, the railroad was referred to as the "Aorta" of Wilmington. It attributed 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, FL. 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 company files and office equipment, over 450 miles by rail.
The Wilmington Railroad Museum is dedicated to preserving the history of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and the history of railroading in the southeastern United States.
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