DuPont Nylon Plant

Announced in December 1938, and opened on November 1, 1939 (production would begin December 12, 1939), the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company opened its Seaford, DE plant to produce Nylon. This was after Dr. Wallace Hume Carothers (1896-1937) first produced Nylon at the DuPont Experimental Station (in Wilmington, DE) in 1935.

The plant would focus production of nylon for parachutes and B-29 bomber tires during World War II, but after the war, the plant's production changed to DuPont's textile fiber program. DuPont's “Fiber X”, would be produced here in 1948 (later to be introduced as Dacron). In the mid-1980s, DuPont began downsizing at the plant and by 2003, sold its synthetic fiber division (now known as Invista), to Koch Industries, Inc. Invista still owns the plant, but rail service has been non-existent since 2003.

The first photo shows the building the DuPont plant in 1938-1939 by an unknown photographer (Jim Bowden collection).

The second undated shot is simply labelled the “DuPont Nylon Plant” by an unknown photographer (the Delaware Public Archives collection). Note the SHPX tank car in the foreground.

The last undated shot is through the stairs inside the DuPont plant, facing Woodland Road by an unknown photographer (Jim Bowden collection).

Shifting Seaford - Today

As a follow-up to my October 2020, post on Seaford, DE - here's what the location looks like today (on November 4, 2020) at the former Southern States, now Perdue plant.

Welded rail has replaced the jointed rail & you can also see the track structure - no weeds!

Seaford, DE Perdue Plant on November 4, 2020, by J.F. Walder

PRR Branchline Passenger Train in Seaford in 1939

PRR Class H9s 1296 at Seaford, DE in 1939, by an William Grant, North East Rails collection.

PRR Class H9s (2-8-0) 1296 at Seaford, DE on the Cambridge Secondary Track in 1939, by William Grant, North East Rails collection. The station's roof can be seen in the background (above the tender). The Main Line (between Wilmington, DE & Cape Charles, VA) can be found in the background, just below the telephone pole on the extreme right side of the photo (the Nanticoke River bridge is off the photo, to the right).

Follow along as I try to narrow down what train this could be: Being the photo's from 1939, but without an exact date, one can assume it's from late April to September 1939 (because the leaves are still on the trees in the background). Also, with how the sun is striking the locomotive in the photo, this has to be in the afternoon (from the west, behind the photographer - we're looking east). Without a date, we can't narrow down what day of the week it is, so that's a complete guess on my part.

So, looking at just the April 30, 1939; June 1, 1939; and September 24, 1939, PRR Public Timetables, this could either be Train #492 (weekdays) or #494 (Sunday only). In both the April & September Public Timetables, the train would arrive in Seaford from Cambridge, MD at 2:55 PM. In the June Public Timetable, the train would arrive in Seaford at 2:09 PM.

So, this has to be the train returning from Cambridge in the afternoon to either let off passengers or to get in position for the next day's run [Train #493 (weekdays) or #495 (Sunday only)].

Man! If I only knew the exact date, it would make life a lot easier.

The 1296 was assigned to the Delmarva Division from as early as May 1939 (& possibly earlier) until November 1944.

Shifting in Seaford

PRR Class BS-12m 8747 at Seaford, DE in the late 1950's or early 1960's, by an unknown photographer, Jim Bowden collection.

PRR Class BS12m (Baldwin S-12) 8747 on what is now the modern-day Delmarva Central Railroad's Cambridge Industrial Track at what is today the Perdue plant in Seaford, DE in the late 1950's early 1960's, by an unknown photographer, Jim Bowden collection. We're looking towards Cambridge, MD & the Seaford station is behind the photographer (the Nanticoke River is off to the left).

Today, Perdue uses the Nanticoke River & trucks to serve this plant. Rail cars haven't been parked on the sidings for at least twenty years now & there doesn't appear to be any changes to Perdue's plan anytime soon. This building still stands today, but it doesn't appear to be in use. There's silos behind the overhead conveyor today - those are used. The building - not so much.

Look at those box cars being used in grain service!

Seaford, DE During the Railroad Strike of 1967

Seaford, DE in 1967, facing northeast around No Name Road crossing, Jim Bowden collection.

I'm being lazy for the month of January 2020, so here's a photo by Jim Bowden of Seaford, DE (roughly around the No Name Road crossing, looking northeast) of the yard during a national strike in 1967, by an unknown photographer. Take a look at the road names on those cars!

Seaford, Delaware Musings

Last month I did a write-up on the history of the Cambridge Secondary Track at its endpoint - Seaford, DE (remember - the actual construction of the railroad started at Cambridge, MD & headed towards Seaford). I want to share some aerial photos of Seaford as they relate to the Cambridge Secondary.

Seaford, DE looking southwest in 1926, Dallin Aerial Survey Company collection.

The above photo is from the Dallin Aerial Survey Company in 1926. We're looking, roughly, southwest. The former "Delaware Road" line (Porter, DE to Delmar, DE) runs from the bottom, center, to the top, left. The Cambridge Secondary starts, just below the Nanticoke River bridge, & runs from left to right in the photo, on its way to Cambridge, MD.

Nanticoke River Bridge, Seaford, DE in March 1970, by Lloyd Teitsworth, Miss Dee Andrews collection.

The second photo is from March 1970, of the Nanticoke River movable bridge by Lloyd Teitsworth, Miss Dee Andrews collection. The Cambridge Secondary begins at the top right, just below the overpass & running behind the freight station (the white building with the wooden platform). You can trace the Secondary from right to left because it's the one track in the photo without any freight cars on it.

Seaford, DE in the late 1960's or early 1970's by Walter Thurston.

The third shot focuses on the Nanticoke River bridge, but from a different angle. You can see the Cambridge Secondary making its way towards the DuPont nylon plant and then it makes a sharp turn from left to right & goes off towards Cambridge, MD towards the top center of the photo.

Seaford, DE from Porter Street to the station in 1954, Jim Bowden collection.

The fourth shot is of Seaford, DE in 1954, with Porter Street (on the bottom left, in front of Perdue's  5 grain silos), from the Jim Bowden collection. The Cambridge Secondary runs from the top left & curves, going straight off the bottom center of the photo. Again, it's the track without any freight cars on it.

Seaford, DE from Porter Street to Hall Street in 1954, Jim Bowden collection.

The fifth & final study of Seaford is a continuation of the railroad from the photo, above, in 1954, except this is now between Porter Street & Hall Street (Hall doesn't cross the railroad today).

Not that much historical write-up, but it does show a lot of aerial photos of the railroad in Seaford, DE.