Railroad Nicknames
| Many railroads had nicknames, both official and unofficial. Official nicknames were created for marketing purposes; these were often printed on schedules or painted on railcar sides. Unofficial nicknames were mostly jibes at the rail companies, usually inspired by their initials. |
Official Nicknames |
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| Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic | The Bee Line |
| Atlanta, Birmingham & Coast | The ABC |
| Atlanta, Knoxville & Northern | Hiawassee Route |
| Atlanta & West Point | West Point Route |
| Atlanta & West Point | Atlanta & New Orleans Short Line |
| Atlantic Coast Line | The Standard Railroad of the South |
| Atlantic, Valdosta & Western | Jacksonville Short Line |
| Bainbridge Northern | The Lumber Line |
| Central of Georgia | The Right Way |
| Chattanooga Southern | The Pigeon Mountain Line |
| East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia | The Great Kennesaw Route |
| Gainesville & Northwestern | The Nacoochee Valley Route |
| Georgia & Alabama | Savannah Short Line |
| Georgia, Florida & Alabama | The Sumatra Leaf Route |
| Georgia Railroad | The Stone Mountain Route |
| Georgia Southern & Florida | The Suwanee River Route |
| Hawkinsville & Florida Southern | The Pine Belt Route |
| Louisville & Nashville | The Old Reliable |
| Macon & Birmingham | The Pine Mountain Route |
| Macon, Dublin & Savannah | The Vidalia Route |
| Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis | The Dixie Line |
| Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis | Lookout Mountain Route |
| Richmond & Danville | Piedmont Air Line |
| South Carolina & Georgia | The Charleston Line |
| Tallulah Falls | Rabun Gap Route |
| Tennessee, Alabama & Georgia | The TAG Route |
| Waycross & Southern | The Okefinokee Route |
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Unofficial Nicknames |
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| Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic (AB&A) | Always Busted & Anxious |
| Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) | Always Comes Late |
| East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia (ETV&G) | Eat Turnips, Vinegar & Greens |
| Fitzgerald, Ocilla & Broxton (FO&B) | Fall Off & Bust |
| Georgia Coast & Piedmont (GC&P) | Get a Crowd & Push |
| Georgia & Florida (G&F) | God Forsaken |
| Georgia, Florida & Alabama (GF&A) | Gophers, Frogs & Alligators |
| Georgia Southern & Florida (GS&F) | Go Slow & Flag |
| Live Oak, Perry & Gulf (LOP&G) | Lean Over, Push & Grunt |
| Louisville & Nashville (L&N) | Late & Never |
| Louisville & Nashville (Etowah-Marietta line) | The Hook & Eye Line |
| Macon, Dublin & Savannah (MDS) | Mighty Damn Slow |
| Savannah & Atlanta (S&A) | Slow & Aggravating |
| Seaboard Air Line (SAL) | Surely Always Late |
| Seaboard Coast Line (SCL) | Service Customers Lack |
| Seaboard System (SBD) | Slowly Breaking Down |
| Tallulah Falls (TF) | Total Failure |
| Tifton, Thomasville & Gulf (TT&G) | Turtles, Terrapins & Gophers |
| Wrightsville & Tennille (W&T) | Wiggle & Twist |
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Notes: The name Great Kennesaw Route could refer to either the Western & Atlantic or the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia. The Hook & Eye referred to a sharp curve and a loop on the L&N line between Marietta, GA, and Etowah, TN. The "SBD" of Seaboard System Railroad was that railroad's "reporting mark." These are standard codes, assigned by the Association of American Railroads, consisting of two to four letters designating individual railroads. The codes are stenciled on railcars. Often the railroad's initials were also its reporting mark. |
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