Odds and Ends
Rail Excursion and Tourist Lines
• Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, Blue Ridge. Passengers take a 26-mile round trip along the scenic Toccoa River between Blue Ridge and McCaysville. The route follows an old Louisville & Nashville line. (241 Depot Street in Blue Ridge). Here's a description of a trip on the train by railfan Randy Golden.• SAM Shortline, Cordele. The popular SAM Shortline excursion railroad runs from I-75 at Cordele to Plains.
• Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, Chattanooga. TVRR operates special excursions over Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway lines in northwest Georgia.
• Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad, Stone Mountain. Vintage FP-7 diesels circle the base of the 800-foot granite monolith over a five-mile route built in 1962. Stone Mountain Park is located 16 miles east of Atlanta on U.S. Highway 78 and is open year-round, 6am to midnight.
Railroad Museums
• Southeastern Railway Museum, Duluth. Extensive collection of railroad equipment on display. SRM website.
• Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History, Kennesaw. Houses the famed Civil War locomotive General as well as locomotives built by the Glover Machine Works of nearby Marietta.
• Roundhouse Railroad Museum (Central of Georgia Shops), Savannah. This National Historic Landmark site is now the State Museum of Railroad History.
• Thronateeska Heritage Center, Albany. At Albany Union Station. Exhibits include Georgia Northern No. 107 steam locomotive, a variety of rail cars, and a model railroad.
• Tallulah Falls Railroad Museum, Rabun Gap. Exhibits tell the story of the Tallulah Falls Railway which once ran through Rabun Gap. Also, an operating narrow gauge train built by students of the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School.
See also Steam Locomotives on Display.
Railfan Platforms and Sites
It's getting easier to see today's rail action while avoiding that mean Georgia sun, thanks to a growing number of railfan platforms provided by some forward-thinking communities.
Rail-Trails
Converting abandoned rail lines to trails keeps the corridors intact for transportation purposes and helps to preserve railroad history. Continue on to the rail-trails page.
Tunnels
Georgia doesn't have as many railroad tunnels as some states, but it does have one of the oldest (1849-50), another that continues in use on a busy rail line, as well as a tunnel that now has a bike trail through it. Continue on to the tunnels page.
Bridges, Trestles, and Viaducts
Since the 1830s many thousands of railroad bridges, trestles, and viaducts have been built to carry trains over Georgia's streams. Continue on to the bridges pages.
Railroad Office Buildings
Several interesting old buildings around Georgia once housed railroad company offices. Here's a sampling.
Monuments to Railroad Leaders
Statues and monuments honoring the accomplishments of Georgia's railroad leaders.
Certainly the most well-known story in Georgia's railroad history is that of the theft of the General during the Civil War.
Street Railways
Although the street railways section has a long way to go, a few pages are in place.
Other Historic Rail Sites
• Coaling towers. Massive reminders of the days of steam.
• Water towers. Another rare relict of steam-powered travel.
• Interlocking towers. Like coal and water towers, only a few are still standing.
• Turntables. Georgia has two operating turntables, one in Summerville, and one in Savannah.
• Zero Milepost. This stone milepost marks the southern end of the Western & Atlantic Railroad and the beginning of Atlanta.
• Allatoona Pass, Cartersville area. Dug in the 1840s for the Western & Atlantic Railroad, it was the scene of a bloody Civil War battle.
Railroad Nicknames
• Nicknames of Georgia Railroads, including some that are less than complimentary.
Georgia's Railroad History & Heritage. Copyright, Steve Storey.
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