Raleigh's lost train roundhouse: Century-old footprint from steam-era hidden in downtown

Built around 1909, the roundhouse was torn down over 65 years ago. However, its century-old footprint still remains. The train turntable, one of only a small handful remaining in North Carolina, that once stood within the roundhouse walls can be seen by satellite view. It appears as a mysterious circle sitting off the tracks near an undeveloped lot of land.

This curious circular remnant is the old, steam-train turntable that was once part of the Raleigh's Seaboard Air Line Railway roundhouse.

Historic images found in the State Archives of North Carolina show how the roundhouse and turntable looked during the era of steam locomotives.

This photo from the 1920s shows "yard activity in the Seaboard Air Line Railway switch yard," according to the State Archives of North Carolina.

The round structure behind the switch yard appears similar to another image of the Raleigh & Gaston Railroad roundhouse, which occupied the area north of West Lane Street and Salisbury Street. This roundhouse was even older, built around 1860.

According to the caption written by the State Archives, the Gaston Roundhouse employed many freedmen who lived nearby in the aftermath of the emancipation after the Civil War.

Other images show the inside of the Seaboard Air Line Railway roundhouse, giving a historic view of the turntable which remains today.

The remains of the 1860's Raleigh & Gaston roundhouse were uncovered in the 1980s, overgrown and hidden beneath weeds. The foundation of the roundhouse was reportedly buried beneath the ground. The century-old Seaboard Air Line Railway turntable can still be seen today and compared with its historic images.

The roundhouse would have partially encircled the turntable when it was originally built. But now the turntable is completely exposed to the elements. In photos, it appears the circular concrete basin sometimes captures the rain. Faded graffiti can be seen on the old concrete walls. One photo showed a couple of old T-shirts hanging from a rusty railing, where it seems someone nearby has hung them to dry in the sun.

The property now belongs to CSX, who is the most recent owner of the railroad. According to some locals, the turntable is occasionally used even today by CSX and the NCDOT.

The roundhouse was destroyed, according to a 1954 article in the Raleigh Times, because of the shift from steam-powered locomotives to diesel locomotives.

Even then, Raleigh realized they were losing a piece of history.

"Raleigh is losing another of its landmarks. The Seaboard Air Line's wooden roundhouse, which was the scene of several spectacular fires, is being demolished," reads the article.

The turntable in Raleigh is one of a small handful of remaining steam-engine era electric turntables that still remain in North Carolina. It was once thought only two or three remained, but viewers began sending in images of overgrown turntable and roundhouse remains in response to this article.

One turntable remains as part of the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. There is no roundhouse, but the turntable is reportedly in-use.

Brian Ezzelle, who has a family background in railroad, found the cornerstone of the old Raleigh & Gaston roundhouse in 1986, snapping this photo of the cornerstone, hidden in the weeds near Seaboard Station.

"In 1989 during construction, the foundation to the roundhouse was discovered and a full architectural study was done. The foundation was then covered back up and remains today underground in Raleigh," said Ezzelle.

Another remaining turntable is at the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer, and it's still in operation. In fact, visitors can learn about the history of locomotives in NC, while also taking a ride on the turntable.

The roundhouse at the museum is the largest remaining roundhouse in North America, according to Brown.

"The site opened in 1896 with a small roundhouse, by as steam engines got larger, a larger roundhouse was needed. The Bob Julian Roundhouse was built in 1924 and operated for Southern until they transitioned to a new facility that was better suited to diesel maintenance in the 1960s and 1970s," said Brown.

Roundhouses, he said, were an essential part of infrastructure in the southeast. The critical importance of railroads for travel, commerce and mail delivery meant roundhouses once dotted the landscape, a common sight in many cities.

"The railway post office and train station were all located in the central area of cities. Cities would grow up around those buildings," said Brown.

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Now, many locals have no idea where Raleigh's roundhouses once stood.

The N.C. Transportation Museum hopes to fill in the blanks for that lack of knowledge. They display many types of old locomotives with engaging and interactive displays that help keep the history alive.

"We have a US Army hospital car, specifically designed to take troops away from the front lines when they were sick or injured. We have some extremely ornate private rail cars, which were like the private jet of their day. We have a railway post office car that visitors can walk inside," he said.

The museum has several steam locomotives from the 1900s, which are visually stunning and impressive. "Until you stand in front of one and see the size and scope of it, it’s something you really won’t quite understand," said Brown.

As quickly as technology changes, history can evaporate. The switch from steam engines to diesel shows how rapidly the landscape can change when technology evolves.

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For as long as the footprint of the historic roundhouse remains, downtown Raleigh will at least have a fossilized piece of steam-era history – even if most people never see it. It sits on private property, and is in a dangerous location near railroad tracks.

NC By Rail wrote, "Raleigh has some incredible train history, but please remember that it can be deadly to be on or around railroad tracks or equipment like the roundhouse (also illegal as it's private property). Those who are interested can safely view it from the parking deck off Peace St. 🚂 Stay safe!"

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