Hartwell Railroad The Hartwell Railroad Company was chartered in 1878, and its 10-mile line from Hartwell to Bowersville was completed in late 1879. In 1898, it was reorganized as the Hartwell Railway. Southern Railway gained control of the line in 1902 and converted it from 3-foot gauge to standard gauge in 1905. The Hartwell's narrow-gauge wood-burner Nancy Hart was then replaced with a larger coal-burning engine. In 1917, Poor’s Manual of the Railroads reported that the Hartwell still only operated one locomotive and one passenger car. In 1924, Southern sold the line to a group of local businessmen. In the 1980s, the Hartwell briefly operated a tourist train, the Hart County Scenic Railway, between Hartwell and Bowersville. Motive power was occasionally provided by No. 11, a Baldwin 2-6-2 steamer built in 1925. In addition to its original line, the Hartwell now operates the 48-mile former Norfolk Southern line between Toccoa and Elberton. The Hartwell Railroad Company has no employees; it contracts with the Great Walton Railroad to operate its lines. Reporting mark: HRT. 1883 map (50K) 2000 map (72K) More information and photos at hawkinsrails.net. Hartwell Railroad diesels at work in Lavonia in early 2000.   Georgia's Railroad History & Heritage. Copyright, Steve Storey. Railroad History | The Depot List | Locomotives On Display | Odds & Ends | Sources & References | Home