NC Rail-Trails photo gallery

Light rail lines and trail in downtown area.

Looking south from the Scott-King Road crossing. This .7 mile section from Scott-King to the Chatham County line has been widened to continue the dual surface used on much of the Chatham section. The asphalt is ~10' wide and the adjacent granite screenings section will be ~6' wide. Durham's die-hard ATT users have continued to use this section even during construction and are generally pleased with the look and feel of this part of the ATT. There is still much work to be done on this section and formal re-opening will not be until at least April 2013.

Members of the Elkin Valley Trails Association look at where they aim to put a bridge over Elkin Creek

Participants coming up Rigsbee Street in Durham on their way to a loop on the American Tobacco Trail. Great weather and lots of supporters at the Start/Finish area. For more race day images please go to NCRT's Facebook page.

This engine saw service on the 42 mile  line from Duncan to East Durham. Near Durham the original (1905-25) corridor followed what is now the Riddle Road spur of the American Tobacco Trail (ATT). Around 1925 changes to the corridor brought it to the American Tobacco warehouse area, now the northern end of the ATT. For more on early RR pictures, please check out Alan Coleman's book, "Images of Rail: Railroads of North Carolina".

The abandoned Eagle Spur corridor ends at the northern edge of Jordan Lake

No trains have run on these rails for ~4years. Note the rust! 

An August 2009 article from BlueRidgeNow.com is enthusiastic but comments from local landowners show diverse views and highlight some of the issues that will have to be dealt with in developing a trail on this corridor. Since then local trail supporters have formed "Friends of the Ecusta Trail" to do trail advocacy and development. Their long term goal is creating an 18 mile trail from Brevard to Hendersonville. Please see their website for more on their efforts and fund raising.