It built 152 miles (245 km) of track, in two unconnected sections, in the southern part of North Carolina.

[2][3] Separately, the company built a 31-mile (50 km) from Charlotte to Lincolnton, in the direction of Rutherford County.

The outbreak of the American Civil War prevented any further construction from taking place.

[5] The company entered receivership in 1872 and was sold in 1873 to the Carolina Central Railway, which in 1874 completed the connection between Wilmington and Charlotte.

In the 1950s, the company was running a local passenger train from Wilmington to Charlotte daily.

The merged company was named the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL).

[13] In 1980, the Seaboard Coast Line's parent company merged with the Chessie System, creating the CSX Corporation.

Today, the former Carolina Central Railroad is still in service from Wilmington to Bostic and is still operated by CSX Transportation.

[14] It connects to the Terrell Subdivision and the Charlotte Western Railroad in Mount Holly.

In the 1980s, CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway consolidated their parallel lines between Forest City and Rutherfordton.

Track from Forest City to Rutherfordton was abandoned in the early 2000s and is now part of the Thermal Belt Rail Trail.