Am interested in any information anyone may have on this line (when built, abandoned, etc.).

Thanks.

-- Stephen Flynt (StephenFlynt@hotmail.com), November 25, 1999

Answers

I did a term Paper at Georgia Tech on the Gainesville Midland RR in 1975. In researching the GM, I found out that the Gainesville Northwestern was controlled by the GM. In fact I saw a map in the GM station (before it was closed) that showed the GNW extended all the way to Nashville, TN.

The GNW primary purpose was to go to Robertstown and the saw mill there. Visit my web site to see the GM term paper and the Chapter on the G&NW.

Doug.

-- Douglas van Veelen (douglasanveelen@mindspring.com), June 03, 2000.

The Gainesville & Northwestern Railroad was chartered February 9, 1912, and was owned and built by the Byrd-Matthews Lumber company (later Morse Brothers Lumber Company. Opened in March, 1913, the purpose of this road was to serve a large lumber mill at Robertstown, Ga. (near Helen, Ga.)

Never terribly financially successful, the company entered receivership on November 23, 1923. Regularly scheduled freight service was discontinued in 1926 and freight trains were run on an as- needed basis. Passenger service was discontinued in March, 1931, but the rail buses were operated to handle whatever mail, express, and package freight traffic that could be generated. In October, 1931, the Interstate Commerce Commission granted permission to abandon the entire railroad with the proviso that the line remain in operation to handle a number of upcoming movements (chiefly road building materials) prior to ceasing operations. This was accomplished and the road was finally abandoned in June, 1934.

-- Robert H. Hanson (RHanson669@aol.com), December 11, 1999.

according to the book railroad names(william edson) the GAINESVILLE AND NORTHWESTERN was in existance 1913-1934. ICC STATISTICS OF RAILWAYS 1922 reports company owned 35 miles of road and operated 37 miles of road

-- edward bangs (bunkerhilled@cs.com), December 08, 1999.