| Thomas, "50 Years on the Rail,"
1912 |
| In March, 1864, I began
running a locomotive for the Confederate government hauling coal from
Calera to Selma {on the Alabama & Tennessee
River RR}, returning with corn for the miners in the mines near
Buck Creek. |
| The road from Calera to Buck
Creek was the South & North {Alabama} Road,
built by the Confederate government for getting coal for the naval
works at Selma and for shipping to Mobile in barges. The Rail was
light and instead of angle-plates for connecting the rails, chairs
were used, into which the rails were slipped, and spiked to the ties.
The spikes were only placed at the joints and centers, hence it was
very easy for a rail to become misplaced. |
| Calera was known as Lime Kiln
Station. |
|