Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic Railroad
The AB&A was organized in 1905 to purchase the Atlantic and Birmingham Railway and construct a 260-mile extension from its terminus at Montezuma
to Birmingham, as well as a 77-mile branch from Warm Springs to
Atlanta. (The Atlanta branch was built from Manchester instead
of Warm Springs.)
In April, 1906, the AB&A consolidated itself with the A&B and
began operating under the Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic Railroad
name. Construction of the extension began quickly. Montezuma to
Talbotton was built in 1906 and Talbotton to LaGrange was completed
in January of 1907. The railroad reached Birmingham in the summer
of 1908.
Much of the Alabama portion of the line was built on the roadbed
of the unfinished Macon and Birmingham Railway. The M&B had managed to complete a rail connection between Macon
and LaGrange, by way of Thomaston, but could not obtain the funds
to continue on to Birmingham. As it turned out, the AB&A was only
slightly more successful; it reached the Magic City, but the revenues
from doing so were not enough to keep the line operating in the
black. A year later the company entered receivership. Continuing
financial problems resulted in a reorganization in 1915 (with
a new name, the Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic Railway) and foreclosure
in 1922. In 1926, it was reorganized as the Atlanta, Birmingham, and Coast Railroad.
After 1909 the AB&A was nicknamed the Bee Line, emphasizing its
direct route between Birmingham and the Atlantic coast. (The Atlanta-Brunswick
route was somewhat less direct.) Also, the prominent “B” in the
company logo may have inspired the name.
Despite its perpetual shortage of funds, the railroad maintained
most of its operations. The only abandonment was on the short
branch from Ocilla to the Alapaha River at Crystal Lake (in 1916-1917).
Poors 1923 Manual reported that the AB&A had 81 locomotives, 60
passenger cars, and 2700 freight cars.
Main Line: Birmingham-Brunswick: 287 miles.
Thomasville Line: Fitzgerald-Thomasville: 80 miles.
Waycross Line: Sessoms-Waycross: 26 miles.
Crystal Lake Branch: Bushnell-Crystal Lake: 33 miles.
Note: Crystal Lake is on the Alapaha River 4 miles northwest of Irwinville.
Suggested Reading:
Larry Goolsby. Atlanta, Birmingham & Coast. Published by the Atlantic Coast Line & Seaboard Air Line Railroads Historical Society, 2000.
1910 map: Manchester area (54K)
1918 map (168K)
1918 timetable (314K)
1918 officers (175K)
Georgia's Railroad History & Heritage. Copyright, Steve Storey.
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