Southern Railway's Spencer Shops

Southern Railwayss Spencer Shops is a former train maintenance complex spread across expansive grounds with numerous structures from the late 1800s and early 1900s. The site contains a large roundhouse where locomotives were serviced, along with specialized workshops for different repair tasks and storage buildings that visitors can walk through today.

The complex was founded in 1896 under Southern Railwayss president Samuel Spencer and became the main maintenance center for trains traveling between Washington and Atlanta. It operated for roughly 80 years until the railroad changed its operations and the shops closed in 1979.

The museum showcases how workers and machines worked together to keep trains running across the region. Walking through the preserved shops, you see the spaces where thousands of employees once spent their days building and fixing locomotives.

The buildings can be explored at your own pace by following marked paths that lead through the entire complex. The grounds are large and mostly outdoors, so plan for adequate time and wear clothes suitable for the weather.

Only four railroad shop complexes like this have survived across North America, and this one is the sole remaining example from the 20th century that kept its original layout and structure. This makes it a rare window into the industrial and railroad architecture of that era.

Location: North Carolina

GPS coordinates: 35.68694,-80.43611

Latest update: December 14, 2025 11:04