Northeastern Railroad of Georgia The Northeastern Railroad was chartered in 1870 to build a railroad from Athens to Clayton. The 39-mile section from Athens to Lula opened September 1, 1876. The rails reached Tallulah Falls in 1882. Northeastern Railroad stock owned by the City of Athens was purchased by the Richmond and Danville in 1881; the R&D leased the 61-mile line in 1886. The Blue Ridge and Atlantic Railroad, chartered in 1887, purchased the northern section (Cornelia to Tallulah Falls) in that year. From November 20, 1893 until 1899, the railroad was operated by R.K. Reaves, Agent of the State of Georgia. The Northeastern was consolidated into the Southern Railway Company in 1899.   1883 map (29K) 1892 map Tallulah Falls section (300K)   Georgia's Railroad History & Heritage. Copyright, Steve Storey. Railroad History | The Depot List | Locomotives On Display | Odds & Ends | Sources & References | Home