The Spencer Shops: Riding the Rails Back in Time

The Spencer Shops: Riding the Rails Back in Time

By: Pamilla Tolen

Today we know Spencer Shops as the NC Transportation Museum located in Spencer NC on 60-acre grounds, just a few miles north of Salisbury. However, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was known as Southern Railway’s Spencer Shops, and was the largest steam locomotive repair center operated by the newly organized Southern Railway Company.

At the end of the 19th century, railroads across the Eastern Seaboard were floundering. After a financial failure of the Richmond and Danville Railroad system, as well as East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia railroads, an opportunity opened in 1894 for the financial firm of Drexel, Morgan and Company to form the Southern Railway Company. Their designated railroad expert was Samuel Spencer. Spencer had a long resume of railroad experience. He had previously been employed by the Long Island Rail Road as Superintendent, and afterwards worked for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Because of his lengthy experience, J. Pierpont Morgan selected Spencer to head up the existing two major repair facilities, one in Atlanta, Georgia and the other in Knoxville, Tennessee. Because these facilities were so old and poorly equipped to handle the current repair needs of the newly formed railroad, Spencer reported at the first annual meeting in June 1895, that a third “back shop” was necessary. It was proposed that the service facility be built on the main line equidistant between Washington D. C. and Atlanta. Spencer noted that the switch locomotives needed to be refueled, inspected and serviced, if necessary, and a “back shop” location close to Charlotte, North Carolina was perfect. As it became public knowledge that Southern Railway might be looking for land in the Charlotte area, a Rowan County landholder, John Steele Henderson began secret negotiations with the railroad company to help them buy land for the proposed facility. This front was established in order to prevent price speculation. By buying the land himself, he would then sell it back to the railroad for the low price he had paid for it. Since Steele was the largest county landowner at that time, it wasn’t unusual for him to acquire more land. So in January, 1896 Henderson began buying tracts of land two miles north of Salisbury, NC on the railroad’s main line, which he immediately resold, and by March 1896 construction began on the new facility. On August 19, 1896 the opening ceremony was held, with Samuel Spencer presiding. Southern Railway partitioned 84 acres of land into 500 lots 50 x 145 for residential lots and 25 x 145 for commercial lots. Each sold for $100. This secured the availability of the skilled workers needed, and they quickly settled down in the area. By 1901, the 625 residents of Spencer were granted incorporation by the North Carolina legislature. The Spencer Shops thrived during the early half of the 20th Century as Southern Railway’s largest steam locomotive repair center. However, by the 1950’s, the conversion from steam to diesel locomotives began the demise of the facility. By the 1970’s the steam locomotive was completely phased out and the Spencer Shop complex, which had employed up to 3,000 workers was no longer needed and was slowly shut down.

The Polar Express is a popular attraction each Holiday season.

Photo: Pamilla Tolen

The “Merci” Train given by France to the U.S., in appreciation for its liberation after WWII.

Photo Courtesy: NC Transportation Museum

Once Southern Railway had abandoned the facility, they were preparing to sell it off as a shopping center or industrial site when a man named Allan Paul, who was employed with the Department of Cultural Resources, entered the picture. He knew of the history of Spencer Shops and what it meant. Paul, along with key local leaders, convinced Southern Railway to transfer the land to the State of North Carolina, have it designated as a historical site and establish North Carolina’s first transportation museum. On September 29, 1977 the North Carolina Transportation Museum was born.

The dining area of the Doris Duke car

Photo Courtesy: NC Transportation Museum

Railroad cars aren’t the only thing on display at the NC Transportation Museum.

Photo: Pamilla Tolen

It was another 19 years before the decaying buildings and surrounding landscape began its transition but, in 1996, the Barber Junction Depot and the Bob Julian Roundhouse were restored and opened to the public.

BARBER JUNCTION DEPOT

The Barber Junction Depot was originally built in 1898 and located 12 miles west in rural Rowan County. It connected the Western North Carolina Railroad from Salisbury to Asheville and the North Carolina Midland Railroad from Charlotte to Winston-Salem. It served as a transfer point for both passengers and express freight. Depots such as Barber Junction were also used as a means of communication with train crews. It remained in operation until the 1970’s and was donated to the museum by Hall Steele in 1980. It was moved to the museum that same year and restoration began in 1984.

BOB JULIAN ROUNDHOUSE

The Bob Julian Roundhouse, one of the original Spencer Shops buildings, is still one of the largest roundhouses still standing in the United States. Here workers inspected and serviced engines, tended to livestock, which were required to be taken off the train cars and attended to, iced down produce that was being shipped to various destinations and performed a multitude of other tasks necessary to keep the trains running. At its height of operation, during World War II, about 3,000 people were employed.

In the roundhouse are displayed a number of train engines and their cars. One of which is the Doris Duke car.

DORIS DUKE CAR

The Doris Duke car was built by Pullman in 1917 and named for James Duke’s 2-year-old daughter. After his death in 1925 it was sold to the Western Pacific Railroad and became an office car.

Doris Duke was born November 22, 1912 in New York City to James and Nanaline Duke. She was immediately labeled “the richest little girl in the world”. James Duke’s father, Washington, had formed a cartel with local North Carolina tobacco farmers at the end of the Civil War. After his death, his son James inherited the successful business and formed the American Tobacco Company in 1890. Duke died of pneumonia in 1925 leaving his entire fortune to his daughter, Doris, who was now 12 years old. His last words to her were “trust no one.” When Doris Duke died alone on October 28, 1993, the billionaire tobacco heiress left her entire fortune of $1.2 billion dollars in trust with her butler Bernard Lafferty who was semiliterate. This rail car gives us the opportunity to glimpse the luxury that was afforded the very wealthy during the early part of the 20th Century.

Other additions to the vast array of train exhibits is the 1939 “40 and 8” Parade Train. This train was built at

Bob Julian Roundhouse.

Photo Courtesy: NC Transportation Museum

Spencer Shops for the American Legion to pay homage to the 40 men or 8 horses that were transported in French boxcars during World War I. These cars transported many soldiers to and from the battlefields during both World Wars. Also, displayed is the one of the original, French built 40 and 8 boxcars which were part of the 49 car cars that formed the Merci Train, a 1949 gift to the United States and District of Columbia for the liberation of France. Members of the American Legion found the car in a tobacco field, and donated it to the museum in 1982.

In addition to its train exhibits, the museum now offers other opportunities to see various forms of transportation from that earlier age. For example, aviation exhibits that in include a replicated, full sized 1903 Wright Flyer airplane, as well as displays for both Piedmont and Eastern Airlines, which flew in this area until they merged with other airlines during the 1980’s. In addition to other cars from that period you can see a Packard, a Rolls Royce and Ford Model T’s and R’s, a 1910 Buick and a steam-powered 1902 White Stanhope.

This is only a small number of exhibits which are available to see at the museum, which are all wellworth the time to make the short drive from Cabarrus County to see. The museum also schedules popular events throughout the year such as the “Day out with Thomas TM “ the train, The Fire Truck Festival, Brew and Choo, a craft beef festival and The Polar Express TM held every November through December. These events sell out quickly, so make your plans early. Polar Express tickets sell out as early as August each year.

The museum is both indoor and outdoor, which allows for numerous large and small events. While there, make plans for a train ride to the Roundhouse where you can disembark to see the exhibits located there and in the surrounding area. When finished, visit the gift shop and then take the trolley back to Barbour Junction or the parking area.

Wright Brothers Flyer Replica

Photo Courtesy: NC Transportation Museum

The North Carolina Transportation Museum is a family friendly trip well–worth taking. The hours for the months of March through December are 9am to 5pm, Tuesday through Saturday and Noon to 5 pm on Sunday. They are closed Sunday and Monday. Check their website for information concerning ticket prices at www.nctrans.org. Parking is free.