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Georgia Southwestern Railroad Rare Mileage Trips 2005 Sponsored by the Southern Appalachia Railway Museum Part 2

For the next two days our trips would start over the line from Sasser to Dawson. The GSWR runs on part of the former Columbus Southern Railway line that was originally constructed between 1886 and 1890 between Columbus, GA and Albany, GA; the first train operated into Dawson in 1890. The line was originally constructed and owned by the Chattahoochee Brick Co.; for a short period between 1890 and 1891 it was leased to the Georgia, Midland & Gulf Railroad, however it returned to the Columbus Southern until in 1896 this line was sold to the Georgia & Alabama Railway, the same year that the G&A Railway came under control of John Skelton Williams and associates of the Seaboard Air Line Railway group. This line gave Seaboard access to Albany, GA by connecting with the Savannah-Montgomery main track at Richland, GA. Today, the GSWR operates the remaining portion of the line between Columbus, GA and Cusseta, GA; and between Dawson, GA (the line ends to the north approximately 3 miles from the at-grade rail crossing frog) and Sasser, GA. The GSWR has pending before the Surface Transportation Board an application to revoke the Rails to Trails authority on the Sasser to Albany portion, and plans to restore rail service on the line segment.

At Cuthbert, the former Georgia, Florida & Alabama Railway line that once extended from Richland, GA to Tallahassee, FL through Bainbridge, GA. Originally constructed as the Georgia Pine Railway it began in 1895 and by 1898 had constructed 40 miles of line between Bainbridge, GA and Arlington, GA. In 1901 it became the GF&A and completed the line north to Cuthbert, GA and south to Tallahassee, FL. It wasn't until 1910 that the rail line was actually extended to Richland, GA to junction with the Seaboard�s Montgomery-Savannah line. Between 1901 and 1908 the GF&A went through a series of ownership/control interests returning to the Williams� family until 1928 finally being secured by the Seaboard. Today the GSWR operates the portion of this railroad between Cuthbert, GA and Bainbridge, GA (line control actually ends at MP 91.5 just south of Lynn, GA with trackage rights over CSXT providing access to Bainbridge for interchange with CSXT).

Historical data provided by the Mike Walker, SPV's Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America - Southern States (Steam Powered Publishing & SPV, 2001) Ownership and detail of rail line.

I walked towards our train capturing this view on the very dark morning.

Another view of our train waiting at the Pulpwood Road Station.

We left at 8:30 AM EST heading south into Sasser and the end of track. We passed a large cotton field along the road we drove on to get to the train today.

Sasser, Georgia.

Across that street the tracks run into the plants so we have reached the end of active track in Sasser. We reversed direction and headed north towards Dawson where we would join the Smithville Sub.

We passed the Georgia Southwestern Station with all our cars parked for the day.

Another cotton field. "I wish I was in a Land of Cotton" song came to mind as we rolled north of a straight piece of railroad with no curves until we reached Dawson. We crossed Chickasawhatchee Creek at the bottom of a 1.25% grade that we would climb to Dawson.

The "End Sasser Block" sign.

A peanut plant as we reached Dawson and took the first curve of this line.

Our train took the tight curve to reach Dawson Junction and our connection with the Smithville Sub.

Curving onto the Smithville Sub.

The ex Central of Georgia Station at Dawson.

Our train would pass through miles of forest on these trips.

Golden Peanut Mill west of Dawson.

Ichawaynochaway Creek also known as Big Notchaway Creek by locals.

A passing picture of the ex Central of Georgia Station at Shellman. We ran west through Pachitla before passing the American Proteins Spur that climbs up a steep grade off the north side of our route. We next run into Cuthbert.

At Cuthbert Junction we turned off the ex Central of Georgia route and took the connection to the former Seaboard Air Line.

The stop sign on the gate protects the Smithville Line. If we would go across that crossing we would have to stop, unlock the gate and then move it across the Smithville Sub only after we had made sure there was no trains coming on that track. Once we crossed, we would have to return the gate to the position we found the gate in.

The rain came down hard as we started heading south towards Bainbridge.

The rain let up as we continued south.

The train coming into Carnegie.

The train approaching Arlington.

A cotton field ripe for picking.

The Norfolk Southern crossing protected by a stop sign and gate.

A former northbound signal on this ex Seaboard Air Line.

We had head end power problems and David L. Smoot came off the rear engine to inspect the train near Damascus.

One of the many creeks in Southwest Georgia.

When we reached the southern end of ownership at Bainbridge, we did a photo stop.

More views of the photo stop at Bainbridge.

On the way back, the gate at the Norfolk Southern crossing at East Arlington. A Georgia Southwestern track worker took care of realigning the gate so we did not have to stop. Bart announced that we would do a photo stop at Edison. The train ran straight to Edison and we unloaded for pictures in this nice Georgia town.

Bart got the idea to shot the train down Edison's Main Street.

We relocated down to the grade crossing to get a picture of the train getting into position for a Photo Pose and then a Photo Runby. After this picture I changed the roll of film. I had my sweats on over my shorts so I reached inside the sweats to put the film in a shorts pants pocket. I then walked over to get in place for the posed pictures.

Three different views of our train in Edison. I then crossed the street and got a top of a bench for the Photo Runby.

After this picture, I noticed I was missing the film. I tried to find it but Bart yelled "All aboard!" and I had to reboard the train. I told the train crew that I lost a roll and they had the track worker look for the film but he had no luck.

On the way back to Cuthbert, I shot this picture just in case I could not find the film. After the lost film on the Nevada Northern Photo Freight trip and then finding it, I only knew I would drive back to Edison this evening to find the roll of film.

The stop sign at the crossing at Cuthbert that protects the line to Eufaula that we would roll over tomorrow.

Our train curved back onto the Smithville Sub to head back east to Dawson.

The ex Central of Georgia Station at Shellman. The rest of the trip to Dawson then to Sasser was peaceful and quiet ending another great day of train riding in Georgia.

Chris and I headed to the car to drive to Edison in the pouring Georgia rain. From Sasser I drove Georgia Highway 55 to where it came to a "T" and turned west on Georgia Highway 234 which we took to the town of Morgan. We turned northwest onto Georgia Highway 37 which took us to Edison. We stopped at a gas station for a flash light. They had one but no batteries. We drove through Edison to a store on the west side for the batteries for the flashlight before driving back to the grade crossing where we had done the Photo Runby. My plan to find the film was to go to every spot I had walked to in Edison then keep looking for it until we found it or I gave up. Chris and I started looking. We checked the gutters that had water running in them from the rain. We also checked the grates at the crossing. I knew the film would be ok because the container is air tight. I went to every spot I took a picture and walked in between. After about five minutes of looking, I was coming down the steps and Chris was walking across the street he spotted something gray in the gutter. He picked it up and said, "I found it" and I was one happy railfan gain. We got back into the car and I was on a natural high. We drove east on Georgia Highway 37 through Morgan down to Leary, which still has a train station, where we turned on Highway 62 back to Albany. We came into Albany by the airport so we just retraced our route back to the Best Western like we did when we got here Friday night. We went to Arby's for dinner and back at the hotel. Chris decided to get his own room as the sofa bed was giving his back problems. He stopped by my room to get his stuff and we decided what time to meet in the lobby to leave. I watched a little TV before calling it a night.