Bull Sluice Railroad

Roswell Railroad

Company type	Private
Industry	Railroad
Founded	1880
Defunct	1921
Fate	Absorbed into Southern Railway
Headquarters	Roswell, Georgia , United States
Area served	South of Roswell to Chamblee, Georgia
Products	Freight and passenger transportation

The Roswell Railroad was a narrow gauge railway that operated between 1881 and 1921, connecting an area south of Roswell with Chamblee. It provided services for both freight and passenger transportation.

Overview

The line reportedly maintained a modest roster consisting of a single combined passenger and baggage car, two boxcars, and four flatcars. Centered around a textile production region, it handled inbound shipments of cotton and dry goods while facilitating outbound transport of textile and agricultural commodities.

Located near Roberts Drive, south of the Chattahoochee River, the Roswell terminus linked to the Atlanta and Charlotte Air Line Railway at Chamblee. Although plans existed to construct a bridge at South Roswell, this project was never realized; instead, an adjacent old wagon road connected the mills with neighboring locations. Much of this original roadbed was subsequently lost due to the installation of county sewer infrastructure.

Ike Roberts, who worked for Southern Railway in grading and track construction, acquired property at the northern end of the line, erected a station there, and leased it back to Southern. He acted as the railroad’s only engineer until operations ceased. His residence still stands on Roberts Drive in Sandy Springs.

Since no turning facilities were available at South Roswell, trains made their return journeys to Chamblee by running backward.

Absorption

Remaining independent until 1894, the Roswell Railroad was eventually incorporated into the Southern Railway. Its narrow gauge steam locomotive number 815—a Baldwin-built 0-6-0 engine named "Buck"—was renumbered as N815 under Southern’s ownership. The route underwent conversion to standard gauge () in 1905; following this change, "Buck" was sold.

In 1902, the Bull Sluice Railroad constructed a branch line extending from near Dunwoody to the Georgia Railway and Power Company's Morgan Falls Dam construction site. This spur facilitated delivery of materials for the hydroelectric facility supplying power to Atlanta’s streetcar network. Southern acquired this branch subsequently and designated it as the Morgan Falls Branch. The Bull Sluice Railroad operated a steamer known as "Dinkey."

A notable event in 1905 saw the railroad transporting U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt to Roswell for a visit to Bulloch Hall, the childhood residence of his mother.

References

• Paden, Rebecca Nash; McTyre, Joe. Historic Roswell Georgia (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing, 2001, pp. 88–89.
• Railga.com entry for Roswell Railroad
• Railfanning.org: Where the Tracks No Longer Run