Chris Parker and I drove from the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth via Interstates 85 and 285 to Exit 39B on US 78. We followed the road to the park gate and they were expecting us then followed the directions that Katie Seuberling, Public Relations Coordinator of Stone Mountain Park, sent me to the Crossroads area of the park.
The first thing you notice as you drive through the park is the beauty of the forests and the lakes within the park. Stone Mountain was formed over 300 million years ago by an underground molten eruption. This molten material then cooled very slowly creating the granite crystals over the next 100 million years. Over the last 200 million years, about two miles of the earth surface around it eroded to the present level that allows us to see Stone Mountain today. Stone Mountain is the world's largest exposed granite mass and rises 825 feet above the surrounding landscape and covers about 583 acres. Granite quarried from Stone Mountain has been used throughout the world, including the locks of the Panama Canal, the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. and the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan.
Stone Mountain is the State of Georgia's most popular attraction, as well as one of the top attractions in the United States and is the world's largest piece of freestanding exposed granite. The Confederate Memorial Carving is the world's largest relief sculpture. The world's largest Lasershow Spectacular takes place in this unique park which contains over 3,200 acres of park, lakes and forests. Stone Mountain Park has many activities for the public to enjoy, including the 1870's Town of Crossroads, Camp Highland Outpost, Treehouse Challenge, The Tales of the South - Georgia's First 4D Theater, The Great Barn, Scenic Railroad and Live Show, The Discovering Stone Mountain Museum and Memorial Hall, Summit Skyride, Antebellum Plantation & Farmyard, Pedal Boats, Mini-Golf, Antique Car and Treasure Museum, Waterslide Complex, plus Ride the Ducks Sightseeing Adventure and more.
We arrived at the parking lot, I saw a smiling young lady waiting and met Katie, who would give us a tour of the park. She gave me a press kit and we soon were in her car, driving the one-way road around Stone Mountain while informing us of the history of the park, sculpture and general information as we drove to the Stone Mountain Railroad Shops. We parked and walked through a gate into a wild west scene and the shops were to the right.
Red River and Gulf 4-4-0 "General II", ex. Stone Mountain Railroad 1 1961, exx. Comite Southern 1, nee Gulf Sand & Gravel Company 2 built by Baldwin in 1919. It became known as "General II" when it was rebuilt and cosmetically altered to resemble the "General", the locomotive made famous by the Andrews Raid and locomotive chase through northwest Georgia during the Civil War.
Inside the shop was Stone Mountain Railroad FP7A 6147, ex. Stone Mountain 3499, exx. Southern 3499, nee Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific 6147 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1950.
Track equipment at the shops.
Stone Mountain Railroad 4-4-0 60 "Texas II", ex. Gulf Sand and Gravel (Louisiana Eastern) 1 1961, exx. Gulf Sand and Gravel (Louisiana Eastern) 2, exxx. Texas and New Orleans 260 1950, exxxx. Texas and New Orleans 220 1934, exxxxx. Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Rrailway 220 1925, nee San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railway Company 60 built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1922. It last ran in 1983.
Katie suggested that we wait for the next run of the train to pass our location so we all sat on the porch in the shade on another extremely hot and humid southern day.
The Wild West where shows are performed for the passengers.
Katie, our excellent tour guide at Stone Mountain Park. We continued to talk as we waited.
The Stone Mountain Railroad train passed through the shop and Wild West area. We returned to the car and started back to the station but I saw two more locomotives so Katie pulled off the highway and I hiked to their location.
Stone Mountain Railroad FP7A 6143, ex. Atlanta, Stone Mountain and Lithonia Railroad 6143, exx. New Georgia Railroad 3498, exxx. Southern 3498, nee Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific 6143 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1950.
Stone Mountain Railroad GP9 2184, ex. Atlanta, Stone Mountain and Lithonia Railroad 2184, exx. Atlanta, Stone Mountain and Lithonia Railroad 6661, nee Baltimore and Ohio 6661 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1956.
I returned to the car and Katie drove us back to the Crossroads, pointing out park highlights on the way, then led us to the station where Chris bought water and I bought a bottle of Coca-Cola. We said our goodbyes to Katie, thanking her for all see did for us then boarded the last car.
On display at the station was Stone Mountain 4-6-2 110 "Yonah", ex. Echo Valley Park (Swamp Rabbit Railroad 110) at Cleveland, South Carolina 1963, exx. Cliffside Railroad 110, exxx. Birmingham Rail and Locomotive Company (dealer) 1933, exxxx. Beachwood Band Mill Company at Cordele, Georgia 1930, nee McRae Lumber & Manufacturing Company 1 at Quincy, Florida built by Vulcan Iron Works in 1927.
The station area at Stone Mountain.
Next to our boarding location is the Great Locomotive Chase Miniature Golf.
We first passed the Confederate Memorial Carving, a unique memorial to the leaders of the South during the Civil War, also known as the War Between the States.
The open air cars used for viewing. Narration is given and songs are played as you travel around Stone Mountain on the Stone Mountain Railroad.
Running through the forest in this beautiful park.
A view towards the summit of Stone Mountain.
Stone Mountain Railroad coach 1868, nee Long Island 2867, built by Pullman Standard in 1950.
Stone Mountain Railroad GP9 2184 waiting for us to pass by.
Stone Mountain Railroad F7A 6143.
Passing through the Wild West.
Rounding another curve.
A spot where some granite had been removed.
Passing through the forest and along the granite slopes of Stone Mountain.
Most impressive!
The views from the train are unique within Stone Mountain Park.
Another of the curves around Stone Mountain.
The view towards the summit. This is the side of with the hiking trail to the summit.
We arrived at the Confederate Hall station and picked up some hikers who had taken the Summit Skyride to the top of Stone Mountain, then hiked down here to board the train. We passed through the forest on our return to the Crossroads station, where our trip around Stone Mountain ended.
The train at the station with the crew having a good time showing off.
I walked over to the Confederate Memorial Carving viewing area and had a last view of the Stone Mountain Railroad train.
The stone carvings include Civil War figures Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. In 1915, Gutzon Borglum drew up his first sketches of his vision for the carving. In 1915, Borglum said it would take a decade to finish and quoted a price tag of 3 million dollars. In 1916, Samuel H. Venable leased the north face of Stone Mountain from the United Daughters of the Confederacy on the condition that it must be finished in 12 years. In 1923, carving began but two years after many disagreements with the UDC members, Borglum was removed from this project, destroyed his models and sketches then went to South Dakota to be remembered forever for being the creator of Mount Rushmore.
In 1925, work began under the direction of Augustus Lukeman who chiseled away all of Borglum's previous work. By 1928, only General Lee's head had been completed so the Venable family retook the property as the carving was not finished in the twelve-year period. In 1958, Georgia purchased Stone Mountain and the surrounding 3,200 acres, creating the park we know as of today. In 1964, now under the directions of Walker Hancock, carving resumed. Roy Faulkner, the work crew foreman, experimented with a new carving tool called a thermo-jet torch. Faulkner, who had no previous art experience, developed a knack for carving, then completed the carving in six years. On May 9th, 1970, the Confederate Memorial Carving was dedicated.
For Chris Parker and I, it was now time to leave the fantastic Stone Mountain Park. A special thank you to Katie for all her help with planning our visit and for being an excellent tour guide. We fought our way through the Atlanta traffic nightmare to Kennesaw, Georgia and our next stop on this adventure.