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Just south of Charlotte, NC, in the town Pineville sits the ADM Oil Refinery, one of Norfolk Southern’s most valued customers in all of Mecklenburg County, seeing more than 90 car loads a week. Unfortunately, due to major cuts in Norfolk Southern’s local operations, the ADM and many customers south of Charlotte and into South Carolina were not able to receive daily local service to the city’s yard. That’s when the management at ADM alongside many other customers decide to create the CTRR, Charlotte Terminal Railroad. The CTRR runs on Norfolk Southern’s R-Line between Charlotte Yard in downtown Charlotte to Rock Hill, SC. The CTRR runs two of the 10 movements on the R-Line between Charlotte and Pineville, NC. It also makes up for roughly half of the movements between Pineville, NC and Rock Hill, SC. The CTRR also handles traffic from the Cargill grain elevator just outside of the Queen City at Graham Junction and the Southern Metals scrap yard at Charlotte Junction. The railroad runs a small-yet-complex fleet:


CTRX 9000 (Ex CN nee GTW GP9r 4619)
CTRX 9001 (Ex CN nee GTW GP9r 4623)

CTRX 6700 (Ex CN nee GTW SD40-2 5931)
CTRX 6701 (Ex CN nee GTW SD40-2 5936)


CTRX 1500 (Ex LTEX nee CSXT 1107) (stored Out Of Service in Charlotte Yard)
CTRX 1501 (Ex LTEX nee CSXT 1109)


The railroad in the future hopes to gain trackage rights north to the Norfolk Southern’s Linwood Yard, where more industries are present, at the time of this publishing: the Genesee and Wyoming was interested in acquiring the CTRR, but at this time, nothing has been set in stone.

I'll be following

A quick update on the CTRR: The railroad has put their two MP15AC’s, 1500 and 1501, up for sale, and then will purchase two former Norfolk Southern GP40-2/RP-E4C Road slugs. This will make operations in yards and other industries a lot easier for the crews, since the slug/locomotive set can be remote controlled.

CTRR Update: two former NS Slugsets (GP40-2/RP-E4C and GP59ECO/RP-E4D), have arrived on property, the GP59ECO was a nice upgrade from the original offer of two GP40-2’s and two slugs, the GP59 is numbered 4664 and it’s slug is numbered 612, the GP40-2 is 3040 and it’s slug is 741. Both units are officially in service.

CTRR Update: Just recently, ADM announced the addition of a second spur being added to their Pineville facility and ADM has asked the Charlotte Terminal to add more locals to serve the facility, therefore, the CTRR is announcing the purchase of two former CSX GP60’s, 6897 and 6898. The addition of these two workhorses will allow for more carloads and more frequincies.

CTRR Update: The CTRR has been approached by a local paper company about delivering their cars to Fort Mill, South Carolina which come from Florida, However their loads come in via CSX, and they are NOT satisfied with their service. Unfortunately the days they need cars delivered are on the days that CSX doesn’t interchange with NS. Therefore, The CTRR has come to an agreement with CSX for trackage rights from the CTRR/NS Charlotte Yard to CSX’s Pinoca Yard via Graham Junction.

CTRR Update: The CTRR has just reached a deal with Norfolk Southern to Purchase the NS O-Line just outside of Charlotte yard, the CTRR will use these tracks as a MoW Base and a Locomotive RIP (Repair In Place) Facility. The CTRR also ran a record 206 car loads this past week to ADM in Pineville.

David Collins wrote: ↑

Tue May 10, 2022 9:12 am

The CTRR also ran a record 206 car loads this past week to ADM in Pineville.

Do they arrive daily? A couple unit trains?

AARR wrote: ↑

Tue May 10, 2022 2:11 pm

Do they arrive daily? A couple unit trains?

These cars are handed off from the NS in Charlotte Yard, and then the CTRR takes the cars to the ADM facility, These cars generally come off of NS train 154 and 14R.

Do they arrive in a 100 car unit train or in smaller blocks?

David Collins wrote: ↑

Tue May 10, 2022 4:48 pm

AARR wrote: ↑

Tue May 10, 2022 2:11 pm

Do they arrive daily? A couple unit trains?

These cars are handed off from the NS in Charlotte Yard, and then the CTRR takes the cars to the ADM facility, These cars generally come off of NS train 154 and 14R.

AARR wrote: ↑

Tue May 10, 2022 7:24 pm

Do they arrive in a 100 car unit train or in smaller blocks?

They arrive in roughly 10-20 (Maybe more) car blocks on daily trains 154 and 14R

Ok, so 206 cars over a week is almost 30 cars a day if they arrive seven days a week (206 / 7) or 41 cars a day if five days a week (206 / 5). That is substantial business! It is important to know so you can correctly plan on how many engines you will need to pull that many cars.

David Collins wrote: ↑

Wed May 11, 2022 9:36 am

AARR wrote: ↑

Tue May 10, 2022 7:24 pm

Do they arrive in a 100 car unit train or in smaller blocks?

They arrive in roughly 10-20 (Maybe more) car blocks on daily trains 154 and 14R

David Collins wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 23, 2022 6:14 am

...The railroad has put their two MP15AC’s, 1500 and 1501, up for sale...

did these 2 MP15s ever sell? If not, I'm interested

Talk wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 21, 2022 10:03 am

did these 2 MP15s ever sell? If not, I'm interested

they have not

CTRR Update: MP15AC units 1500 and 1501 have been sold to Bay City Locomotive Services, in exchange for 6 overhauled P40DC's for our partner railroad, the GCRR.