Delaware Coast Line Railway

This shortline has become a favorite of mine, in part because of it's locomotive roster and also because it operates in my favorite vacation destination- southern Delaware. I heard that the DCL finally made it into the 2004 Locomotive Rosters book by James Kerr, but that the DCL roster was incomplete, and that Lewes was listed as the road's headquarters, but is'nt that incorrect? I know Lewes is the site of one of DCL's most important customers, SPI-Pharma, and of a windlass-operated swing bridge over the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal. Could someone "in the know" give us an up-to-date DCL roster?

Legio X -

Follow the link for a DCL Roster...
http://www.trainweb.org/peninsularailfa ... oster.html


And as for Lewes, you're right, DCL does not store its equipment there. I believe it's kept in Georgetown, near the NS interchange, but I've heard that when not in service all units are stored in a gated facility so it's hard to get photos.

That roster and a few others are missing a few things.

#2 ALCO RS36 i/s stone yard adjacent to Indian River Power Plant,
Dagsboro, DE
#19 ALCO T6 i/s Georgetown, DE
#23 ALCO RS1 o/s Georgetown, DE (under restoration)
#44 GE 44 tonner i/s Ellendale, DE (has number clearly painted on it
although two or three published rosters show it as
not being numbered)
#182 ALCO RS18 i/s stone yard adjacent to Indian River Power Plant,
Dagsboro, DE
#4024 GE B23-7 i/s Ellendale, DE
# GE B23-7 (heard Michael bought a second one)

*Two stall enginehouse is on the east side of the Sussex County Airport, Georgetown, DE. Airport Industrial Park does have a gate house for road traffic. Sometimes power is kept at Gravel Hill DelDOT facility, east of Georgetown.
*Trackage rights for light engine moves between Georgetown and Ellendale via NS' Indian River Secondary. Hence, 19, 44, 4024 can wander back and forth.
*Ellendale - Milton line is used for car storage now that all customers are gone. Mainly empty grain cars are stored.
*Stone yard gets stone trains; Georgetown Line gets cars grain trains (for transload) at Gravel Hill, and cars for Barcroft which is now called SPI Pharma in Lewes.

Is there any potential for new customers on the Ellendale-Milton line? Does the DCL actively market itself as a service provider? I want to see DCL prosper so when I retire from the NYPD in 12 years and relocate to Lewes I will have a nearby railroad to railfan.

I hope you've bought a place in Lewes already since in twelve years it'll be like trying to buy in Westhampton Beach.
Extremely unlikely to see another customer on the Milton line. The last/only customer was the Draper King Cole cannery in Milton. They were bought out/closed and the site is being developed into condos and light industry (DogfishHead beer has their brewery there).

To battle the loss of freight business, the DCL might consider re-opening passenger service (as the one-time Queen Anne's Railroad had along that line). Southern Delaware around the Lewes area is getting quite populated, and Historic Tourism (IE: Tourist Railroads) is one of the larger-growing sects in the Travel industry. Re-opening the "Queen Anne's Railroad" might do the railroad good. Lewes is a really neat town to visit, the railroad would attract many people, and it would also benefit not only the DCL, but the town of Lewes.

Well, it's a thought.

WWRRDave wrote:To battle the loss of freight business, the DCL might consider re-opening passenger service (as the one-time Queen Anne's Railroad had along that line). Southern Delaware around the Lewes area is getting quite populated, and Historic Tourism (IE: Tourist Railroads) is one of the larger-growing sects in the Travel industry. Re-opening the "Queen Anne's Railroad" might do the railroad good. Lewes is a really neat town to visit, the railroad would attract many people, and it would also benefit not only the DCL, but the town of Lewes.

Well, it's a thought.

Actually, it would be beneficial for Maryland and Delaware to agree with each other to establish a light rail line running down the entire coast from Lewes, DE to Ocean City, MD, similar to the one that runs through downtown Baltimore from BWI Airport to Hunt Valley. Such a line would make money hand over foot during the beach season, but might not be profitable during the winter months, even with a reduced schedule. I understand that freight is moved on the Baltimore light rail system during nighttime, and a similar operation could bring in added revenue, particularly for the merchants in the beach tourism business as well as other local non-tourist businesses.

I would hope there would be a stop at 49 St. and the Bay for Seacrets in Ocean City.

Anything new on the Delaware Coast Line? How does business look for the summer?

I'll be going down to Delaware on vacation in a few weeks, and hope to see the DCL in action in Lewes. Which day, and around what time, would I have the best chance to do this? Do they still use T-6 #19 on the Lewes run?

I have to ask a dumb question here. A year ago I visited all the lines of the DCL. They basically have two clients-the drug plant at the end of the Georgetown line, the stone yard which they switch under contract, and car storage on the Ellendale line, reportedly mostly grain hoppers for Perdue. This appears to be their total business. For it, they have an unreal amount of power-7 engines? Why so much, or did I miss something here?

Shortliner from the Midwest

The Ellendale - Milton line has no customers since the King Cole plant at Milton closed and was torn down. This line is used for car storage.

The Georgetown - Lewes Line has the (1) the plant you mentioned at the end of the line, by the Cape May - Lewes Ferry facility; (2) unloads unit grain trains at Gravel Hill (on the main at the DelDot facility); (3) occaisionally a couple cars of stone or what have you.

The Indian River / Dagsboro stone yard recieves unit stone trains to which the railroad unloads and switches cars within. It is next to the Indian River power plant and is relatively inaccessible.

The enginehouse is located on the east side of the Sussex Airport. It can be accessed if you get passed the gaurd house (which hasn't been a problem yet). It is a two track facility, each track holding one unit. You may be able to work a picture or two in. Note though that some locomotives may be found at Ellendale or Gravel Hill, and Indian River. They don't always bring everything "home".

#2 and #182 are usually found at Indian River; #19 is almost always on the Lewes Line; 4024 and 44 move between the Ellendale and Georgetown lines; 23 is in the shop being rebuilt.

Operations are as needed.

A week from today I'll be in lower Delaware, my favorite place in the world!!! Hopefully I'll see DCL in action at Lewes on Tuesday, 07/13.....

I was in Lewes on Wednesday, checking out the old part of town with my wife and son around lunchtime when I heard a horn being blown at the crossing coming into town, which is either Savannah Road or King's Highway. The train must've been Georgetown-bound because later on when we drove past the swing-bridge over the canal, it was open to boat traffic. So, I missed DCL this year. Yet another thing to look forward to during vacation down at the beach in Delaware next year.

I was looking at a map of Lewes on a Lewes-related website, and it shows the DCL line that ends outside of Cape Henlopen State Park at the SPI-Pharma plant. It also shows a spur that breaks off in Lewes and heads southeast to Rehoboth Beach. I was not aware of this spur. Does it still exist? What is it's history? Was there ever passenger service to Rehoboth via this line?