When was the Columbus to Greenville to Newnan segment of the Central of Georgia built? Was the line for freight and/or passenger service? Is the segment still intact and being used? Are any of the depots still standing? I've learned that the segment connected with a CofGa line from Chattanooga to Macon, is this true? Any and all info. would be appreciated.

-- M. Kullen (michelle_kullen@sprynet.com), May 26, 2000

Answers

In June of 2003, Heavy rains fell in the Chattahoochee River Water shed causing the bridge at R-38.1 to collapse. Norfolk Southern, in their infinite wisdom, elected to not repair the bridge thus ceasing operations to Georgia Pacific Plant in Durand and The MeadWestvaco Mill in Allie ( Greenvil;le, Ga. ). NS has since announced plans to abandon this line above Fortson, Ga.( Approx. MP 12 ). Georgia Pacific is now served by CSXT from the LaGarange-Manchester line but MeadWestvaco at Allie closed the mill plpacing up to 150 people out of work.

-- Glenn K. Marsh (roanoke_rocket@yahoo.com), December 16, 2003.

I thought I would add to the response from David Payne. Currently, NS works the Columbus to Allie segment with a daily turn out of Columbus yard. Power ranges from 3-5 mixed four axles and occasional pairs of six axle units. The principal customers are a large quarry at Fortson, GA (which occasionally loads NS ballast trains, Georgia- Pacific Durand Plywood Plant in Durand, Ga and the large Mead stud mill north of Greenville at Allie. There was also a pulpwood yard at Allie, but I think it has closed. Add a couple of now unused industrial leads to Bibb City in Columbus Metro and you have a good feel for the line. The turn leaves Columbus at or near daylight and usually gets to Durand by lunch. It arrives back at Columbus in the mid afternoon. The train is composed of staked log cars, woodchip and boxcars. It is not uncommon to see former CIRR woodchip cars in gray now lettered for GPSX. At Raymond, there is the hulk of a massive concrete coaling tower, and some grown over yard tracks with the original right-of-way still visible peeling off toward Greenville.

-- Hank Stephens (hstephens@knology.net), May 27, 2000.

The railroad from Columbus to Greenville was built as a three foot gauge line between 1877 and 1885. This railroad was widened to standard gauge and extended to Raymond in 1905 - 1906. Raymond was the junction with the Griffin - Cedartown - Rome - Chattanooga line. Griffin is the junction with the Atlanta to Macon line. Cedartown was/is the division point on the C-line. The June 1916 public timetable shows passenger service twice daily between Columbus and Atlanta utilizing the Atlanta and West Point Railroad from Newnan to East Point. I believe I have seen a reference to this service as early as 1909. It may well have been initiated when the railroad was completed to Raymond. Freight service was provided for many years by Numbers 89 and 90 which operated between Columbus and Cedartown. A Columbus crew worked one side of the job and a Cedartown crew worked the other. Ironically, the last segment to be completed was abandonned in 1981 and the track was removed from Allie (about five miles north of Greenville) to Raymond. The depots at Cataula and Greenville are still standing.

-- David Payne (DavidCofGa@aol.com), May 26, 2000.