Don's Rail Photos
Under Construction
Georgia Southwestern RR
The GSWR runs on a portion of the former Central of Georgia route that ran between Smithville, GA and Eufaula, AL and a portion of the connecting branch from Eufaula, AL to White Oak, AL. The line between Smithville, GA and Eufaula, AL was constructed by The South Western Railroad Company in 1860, in 1869 The South Western Railroad Co. leased its lines to the Central Railroad and Banking Company of Georgia, and by 1954 the "Central" held the majority of the stock of The South Western Railroad, thus making those lines part of the Central of Georgia system. The rail line was extended from Eufaula to Montgomery between 1869 and 1870 by The Montgomery and Eufaula Railroad Company, and was initially acquired by The Central Railroad and Banking Co. in 1879, it was formally transferred to the Central of Georgia in 1895. The connecting branch at Eufaula was originally The Eufaula and Clayton Railroad Co. built in 1872 (actually constructed by the Vicksburg and Brunswick Railroad Co.); between 1887 and 1888 the line was extended from Clayton to Ozark by The Eufaula and East Alabama Railway Co., in 1888 both the E&C Railroad and E&EA Ry. Co. were consolidated into the Savannah and Western Railroad Co. in 1895 the Central railroad acquired the Savannah and Western Railroad Co.
In 1972 the Central of Georgia abandoned the line between Eufaula, AL and Union Springs, AL, later in 1985 under the control of the Norfolk Southern Corp., the C of G abandoned the line between Union Springs, AL and Montgomery, AL. The line between Ozark and Clayton was abandoned in 1977, and later in 1986 the line between Clayton and White Oak was abandoned.
In 1988, the NS leased under its Thoroughbred Short Line Program the line between Eufaula, AL and Smithville, GA, and the connecting branch between Eufaula, AL and White Oak, AL to the Georgia & Alabama Railroad (a subsidiary of RailTex, Inc.).
The Georgia Southwestern Railroad actually began as a division of the South Carolina Central Railroad (a subsidiary of RailTex, Inc.) in November 1988 operating between Rhine, GA and Mahrt, AL, and Columbus, GA and Bainbridge, GA (the lines made junction at Richland, GA), both line segments were acquired from CSXT. In that same year, another division of the South Carolina Central Railroad, the Georgia & Alabama Division began operating the Smithville, GA to Eufaula, AL line leased from the Norfolk Southern Corp. These two divisions were followed up by a third, the Georgia Great Southern division which began operating the Dawson, GA to Albany, GA line acquired from CSXT. All three divisions operated as separate units of the South Carolina Central Railroad.
In late 1995 the GSW Division discontinued their operation of Rhine, GA to Rochelle, GA; Preston, GA to Omaha, GA; and Cusseta, GA to Cuthbert, GA, the line segments were reacquired by CSXT and abandoned. The only line segment to have track removed was Cusseta to Cuthbert, the State of Georgia DOT purchased the other two segments and saved them from scraping. In 1995 RailTex sold the Mahrt Yard to Mead Paper.
In August 1995 the GSW Division leased from the Norfolk Southern Corp. the line between Ochille, GA and B.V.& E. Jct. (Americus, GA), this permitted the continued handling of traffic between Bainbridge, GA and Columbus, GA. The GSW also acquired trackage rights between Ochille and Columbus, and between B.V. & E. Jct. – Smithville – and Albany, GA.
In September 1996, the Georgia Southwestern Railroad Co., was incorporated to consolidate the operations of the 3 divisions of the South Carolina Central (GSW, GAAB, and GGS) under one operating entity. This was the official beginning of today’s Georgia Southwestern Railroad.
In 1997, the GSWR sold to the Rails to Trails Conservancy the portion of the former GGS line between Sasser, GA and Albany, GA. In mid 1998 the GSWR leased the former Rhine-Rochelle line back from the State of Georgia (the line was actually extended to Vidalia, GA) In early 2000 the GSWR leased the Rochelle – Preston and Omaha-Mahrt lines, and transferred the GA DOT Vidalia line to the Heart of Georgia Railroad. At about the same time, the GSWR sold the Rochelle to Preston line to the Georgia Department of Transportation. In 2000 the GSWR also became a wholly owned subsidiary of Rail America, Inc. with its merger with RailTex, Inc.
In early 2002, Rail America sold the GSWR to local ownership in conjunction with its line sales of Lynn (Bainbridge), GA to Cuthbert, GA, Dawson, GA to Sasser, GA; and Cusseta, GA and Columbus, GA to the Georgia Department of Transportation.
21, GP9, was built by Electro-Motive in July 1956, #22111, as New York New Haven & Hartford as 1201, Class DERS-4. It became Penn Central 7531, Class ERS-17s, in 1969, and then Consolidated Railroad Corp 7531, Class GP-9. It was renumbered 7271 and later sold to Cape Cod & Hyannis as 21. It was then sold to South Carolina Central as 21 in April 1989 and later to GSW as 21. Then it became Carolina Piedmont RR as 21 in November 1990 and then Georgia & Albany as 21.
2127, GP7u, was built by Electro-Motive in May 1952, #16377, as Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe 2733, Class 2650. It was rebuilt at Cleburne in August 1978 as 2127, Class 2050. In August 1990 it was sold to Railtex as GSWRR 2127.
2130, GP7u, was built by Electro-Motive in December 1952, #17636, as AT&SF 2825, Class 2650. It was rebuilt in September 1978 at Cleburne as 2130, Class 2050. It was retired in June 1989 and sold to Railtex in February 1990. It was assigned to GSW as 2130 and then transferred to Georgia Great Southern and kept the same number. It was return to GSE and in January 1999 it went to DGNO and was renumbered 702.
2185, GP7u, was built by Electro-Motive in August 1952, #16383, as AT&SF 2736, Class 2650. It was rebuilt by Cleburne in February 1980 as 2185, Class 2050. It became GSW as 2185 in September 1989 and later as Virginia Southern as 2185 in 1998.
4026, GP40, was built by Electro-Motive but its history is unknown.
4029, GP40, was built by Electro-Motive in January 1966, #31892, as Norfolk & Western 1352. It was sold to Railtex as GSWRR 1352 in 1998 and rebuilt and renumbered 4029 in 1999.
5078, Class GP-38, was built in November 1967, #33709, as Chesapeake & Ohio 3878, Class GP-38. It was later 2078 and then became CSX Transportation 2078, Class GP-38. It was sold to National Railway Equipment Co and sold to Virginia Southern as 5078. It was transferred to GSW as 3813.
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9/30/2004
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