Tracks out of service

[Ethan the Railfanner]

Charlotte, NC. Appears to have just recently gone out of service:
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.2804727 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.2806898 ... 312!8i6656
Was still used back in 2014:
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.280577, ... 312!8i6656
Though by 2016, the rails were rusted over:
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.2805537 ... 312!8i6656
And 2018 shows that they were cut-back:
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.2805563 ... 312!8i6656

When I get out to Charlotte, NC, in late March, I might see about getting there.

[LARDLOGO]

Industrial Drive- Flagstaff, Arizona
http://www.rxrsignals.com/Arizona/Flagstaff/Industrial/

Here's all that remains as of June 2018
https://goo.gl/maps/eLFmqCiUduS2
https://goo.gl/maps/3idiRKwEz2t

You can still make out where the grade was at before it was removed and paved over. Also take note of how the concrete parts of the road end where the tracks once crossed.
https://goo.gl/maps/U52oyp2mMmn
https://goo.gl/maps/XWWbYDotC932

Where the tracks once ran is now part of the parking lot.
https://goo.gl/maps/9irXJNVYTeP2

Walgreens has since moved out of the warehouse and the building now hosts Berkley Leading Division, a truck rental company.

Cottage Avenue- Flagstaff, Arizona

Only one RXR sign remains in place.
https://goo.gl/maps/JrArxQJCp8J2

Nothing but the grade and tracks remain at the crossing.
https://goo.gl/maps/zcBn9auUeos

Judging by the overgrowth of vegetation, I'm going to assume that nothing has crossed here in a long time. Hence why I included it in this post.
https://goo.gl/maps/95sAe8Yxvbx

Switchstand remains. Note that the points are on the crossing itself and that the lever appears to be missing.
https://goo.gl/maps/H55SjNNkjMz

Some of the track here has been buried by dirt.
https://goo.gl/maps/Fr1wDMByuBw

Unmarked BNSF Truck?
https://goo.gl/maps/sZV8HXeWukG2

While the line isn't exactly out of service, it's still safe to say the crossing will never see usage again. There is a shoving platform/ caboose nearby.
https://goo.gl/maps/pyaJuzGShzR2

This recent satellite view confirms that the crossing is out-of-service.
https://www.google.com/maps/search/cott ... a=!3m1!1e3

The line itself is now confirmed to be used for storage. There is a MOW vehicle and tankers stored here.
https://www.google.com/maps/search/cott ... a=!3m1!1e3

There's also another spur which leads to what appears to be a small refinery. Either the line hasn't been used in years, or BNSF hasn't been out to work on the line.
https://www.google.com/maps/search/cott ... a=!3m1!1e3

[freebrickproductions]

In southern North Carolina and northern South Carolina, there used to be a shortline called the Carolina Southern. The railroad rostered a small variety of older EMD power, including an F-unit! Unfortunately, the track wasn't well maintained and caused the railroad to shut-down in 2012. The owners and local governments unsuccessfully tried to get the line repaired and reopened for several years, but wasn't able to, and wound-up being sold to RJ Corman in 2016, who started repair work on the line and running trains again. You can read more about the railroad here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_ ... n_Railroad

The poor track conditions of the line are shown pretty well in this video, especially starting at about 1:55 in and until about 4:40:


However, there is a section of their line in Whiteville, NC that doesn't appear to be used anymore, not even by RJ Corman. Here's what appears to be the current end of the active line just west of the town:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3226023 ... 312!8i6656

Heading east into town, we find this crossbuck crossing:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3222778 ... 328!8i1664
One of the crossbucks was gone by 2013 though:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3225645 ... 312!8i6656

A small private crossing for someone's house with a backwards crossbuck:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3225302 ... 312!8i6656

Another one with a pair of overgrown crossbucks:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3224884 ... 312!8i6656

Once in the "downtown" area, we find this crossbuck crossing:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3224139 ... 312!8i6656

And then to the east, we find the remains of this gateless crossing:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3225047 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3221679 ... 312!8i6656
This one signal is pretty far back from the rest of the crossing, for some reason:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3222019 ... 312!8i6656
The blank-out signs are also still hung at the intersections around the crossing, for some reason:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3223793 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3222783 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3222783 ... 312!8i6656
Street view from about 10 years ago shows the signals when they were still mostly intact. The lights appear to have been a mixture of 12x20s and 12x24s, nor does there ever appear to have been a bell:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3225383 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3222977 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3223515 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3222977 ... 328!8i1664
Interestingly enough, this median signal had the lights replaced on it at some point with some slightly newer (and likely re-used) 12x24s, despite the line having already been out of service for a while!
Old lights:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3222047 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3222977 ... 328!8i1664
"New" lights:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3222783 ... 312!8i6656

Continuing east, we come to a crossing with a newer 90° crossbuck on one side, but the remains of a 45° crossbuck on the other!
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3225204 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3221414 ... 312!8i6656

More crossbucks and a rather long crossing here:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3219787 ... 312!8i6656
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3224335 ... 312!8i6656

And then there's this private crossing protected by a rather overgrown crossbuck:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.322396, ... 312!8i6656

Followed by this private crossing with another crossbuck:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3223953 ... 312!8i6656

To the east of here, the line had long since been abandoned and torn out, so there's nothing left, AFAIK.

[TrickyMario7654]

Street view from about 10 years ago shows the signals when they were still mostly intact. The lights appear to have been a mixture of 12x20s and 12x24s, nor does there ever appear to have been a bell:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3225383 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3222977 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3223515 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3222977 ... 328!8i1664

Isn't this a bell?
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3223515 ... 328!8i1664

[ZachL]

And then there's this private crossing protected by a rather overgrown crossbuck:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.322396, ... 312!8i6656

I had to do a double-take to find that one.

[freebrickproductions]

Street view from about 10 years ago shows the signals when they were still mostly intact. The lights appear to have been a mixture of 12x20s and 12x24s, nor does there ever appear to have been a bell:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3225383 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3222977 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3223515 ... 328!8i1664
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3222977 ... 328!8i1664

Isn't this a bell?
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3223515 ... 328!8i1664

Looks more like a crossing indicator to me:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.3224037 ... 328!8i1664

[LARDLOGO]

Stretch of abandoned spur track in Phoenix, Arizona.

The line originally diverged off of the BNSF mainline here. You can clearly see that there is little to no traces of where the line began.
https://goo.gl/maps/JLsnN11pay62

Back in 2008 the tracks beyond the Indian School Road crossing were still in place.
https://goo.gl/maps/Av2p2pFsfAs

The first crossing on the line not shared with the mainline has it's own RXRsignals.com page.
http://www.rxrsignals.com/Arizona/Phoen ... Clarendon/

As of 2017, nothing remains.
https://goo.gl/maps/5Y32sU12Cgz
https://goo.gl/maps/AfRgjwNARSt
https://goo.gl/maps/YYLm8XYfyaB2

36th Avenue- the wooden grade and the rails still remain here. There's also a fragment of track that still exists.
https://goo.gl/maps/GA3EaVWFJNw
https://goo.gl/maps/mZasModLD942

39th Avenue- the asphalt grade and rails are still in place. There's also a beat up crossbuck intact.
https://goo.gl/maps/3kyKf6K8PbL2
https://goo.gl/maps/4e8y53JwMEk

The line must've gone out of service awhile ago because this building now stands on the former ROW.
https://goo.gl/maps/1LNMMnGawvL2

The pile(s) of tires mentioned in the RXRsignals page.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/W+Cla ... 12.1645919

40th Avenue- some pieces of rail still sit in the ground. The crossing itself is gone though.
https://goo.gl/maps/7YwpF8ZvwPu

Beyond here there are no traces of any spur line.

[Ethan the Railfanner]

Erin, Tennesssee:
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.3177529 ... 312!8i6656

(This once used to have RR tracks here, but the RR crossing still remains.)

[LARDLOGO]

Christchurch, Canterbury, NZ
https://goo.gl/maps/jihyVWbcfm22

[ZachL]

Christchurch, Canterbury, NZ
https://goo.gl/maps/jihyVWbcfm22

Narrow gauge as well!