Abstract:
Although not known as a railroad center, North Carolina has a great profusion of short-line railroads. Don McGrady, owner of the Thermal Belt Railway which runs from Gilkey to Bostic, is the newest member of the group. He worked out a deal with the state, Rutherford County, local shippers and CSX Transportation to operate the Forest City-Gilkey line, which was abandoned by Norfolk Southern in 1989, and the three-and-a-half-mile Forest City-Bostic line, which CSX is selling.