The Georgia, Carolina and Northern Railway was a Southeastern railroad that began after Reconstruction and operated up until the start of the 20th century. It ran from Monroe, North Carolina to Atlanta, Georgia and later became part of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad.
History Construction and early years The Georgia, Carolina and Northern Railway was founded in 1886 with the goal of building a line from Monroe, North Carolina, to Atlanta, Georgia. Construction on the line began in 1887 in North Carolina.
By 1892 the railroad had almost completed its original plan when a court injunction halted its progress into Atlanta. As a result, the GC&N developed the Seaboard Air Line Belt Railroad. The Seaboard Air Line Belt Railroad ran about from Belt Junction (near Emory University) west to the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway for which the Georgia, Carolina and Northern Railway had trackage rights into Atlanta. In 1898 the railroad acquired the Loganville and Lawrenceville Railroad.
Seaboard Air Line years
In 1901 the GC&N was formally merged into the Seaboard Air Line Railway. The Seaboard operated the line as their Abbeville Subdivision from Monroe to Abbeville, South Carolina and as their Atlanta Subdivision from Abbeville to Atlanta. The Seaboard primarily used the line for passenger services to Atlanta. The Silver Comet, The Cherry Blossoms, and The Capitol were passenger trains that ran the line daily from Monroe to Atlanta.Seaboard Air Line Railroad Georgia Division Timetable (1955)
Later years In 1967, the Seaboard Air Line merged with its rival, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL). The merged company was named the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL). Seaboard Coast Line designated the entire line from Monroe to Atlanta as the Abbeville Subdivision.Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Atlanta Division Timetable (1970) The Silver Comet was discontinued the following year.Seaboard Air Line timetable, December 15, 1967, Table 21 -in service
In 1980, the Seaboard Coast Line's parent company merged with the Chessie System, creating the CSX Corporation. The CSX Corporation initially operated the Chessie and Seaboard Systems separately until 1986, when they were merged into CSX Transportation. CSX would later truncate the Abbeville Subdivision designation at Abbeville with track north of there being annexed to the Monroe Subdivision.CSX Atlanta Division Timetable (2005)
Current operations The full line is still in service today and it is still operated by CSX Transportation. The line is the primary route from the Northeast to Atlanta, and it is dispatched by Centralized traffic control.
Monroe to Abbeville
The line from Monroe to Abbeville is now part of the CSX's Monroe Subdivision. The Monroe Subdivision also includes track from Monroe to just outside of Hamlet, North Carolina.
Abbeville Subdivision
From Abbeville to Tucker, Georgia, the line is CSX's Abbeville Subdivision. The Abbeville Subdivision connects with CSX's Gainesville Midland Subdivision and the Hartwell Railroad in Athens, Georgia. It also serves Total Distribution Services Inc. (TDSI), a CSX subsidiary, near Lawrenceville, Georgia.
Tucker to Atlanta
The line from Tucker to Atlanta is part of CSX's Atlanta Terminal Subdivision, which also includes the company's other rail lines within Atlanta.
Historic stations StateMilepostCity/LocationStationConnections and notesNCSG 306.2MonroeMonroejunction with Carolina Central Railroad (SAL)SG 311.2HoustonSG 318.3WaxhawWaxhawSCSG 330.5CatawbaCatawbajunction with Catawba Valley Railway (SAL)SG 335.8Manney SG 337.5EdgemoorSG 342.2RodmanSG 349.0LandrumSG 351.1ChesterChesterjunction with:SG 355.9WilkesSG 363.4LeedsSG 368.2CarlisleCarlislejunction with Spartanburg, Union and Columbia Railroad (SOU)SG 375.6DeltaSG 379.9WhitmireWhitmireSG 385.6GarlingtonSG 392.7ShandsSG 397.0ClintonClintonjunction with Columbia, Newberry and Laurens Railroad (ACL)SG 401.6FullerSG 406.6MountvilleSG 411.0Cross HillCross HillSG 416.6LotaSG 421.1McDowellSG 425.0GreenwoodGreenwoodjunction with:SG 429.5BullockSG 434.8Long CaneSG 440.0AbbevilleAbbevilleSG 440.7ShopsSG 447.5WattsSG 454.5Calhoun FallsCalhoun Fallsjunction with Charleston and Western Carolina Railway Anderson Branch (ACL)GASG 461.5HeardmontSG 469.1SwiftSG 471.5ElbertonElbertonjunction with:SG 473.6WesterSG 479.8OglesbySG 483.4BerkelySG 486.0RossSG 489.0ComerComerSG 499.2HullHullSG 505.7AthensAthensjunction with:SG 507.2Fowler Junctionjunction with Gainesville Midland RailwaySG 515.1BogartBogartSG 522.0HarperSG 527.0WinderWinderSG 533.5AuburnAuburnSG 538.1DaculaDaculaSG 544.1LawrencevilleLawrencevilleSG 550.0GlosterSG 554.7LilburnLilburnSG 560.6TuckerTuckerSG 567.5Belt Junctionjunction with Seaboard Air Line Belt RailwaySGB 582.0AtlantaInman Parklocated on Seaboard Air Line Belt RailwaySG 568.5EmorySG 571.8MinaSG 574.8Howell Yardjunction with Atlanta and Birmingham Air Line Railway (SAL)SG 575.6W&A Junctionjunction with Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis RailwayTerminal Station
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