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Central Railroad and Canal Company of Georgia

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Central Railroad and Canal Company of Georgia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 25 July 2025
Central of Georgia Railway
Company typeRailroad
IndustryRail transport
PredecessorCentral Rail Road and Canal Company; Central Rail Road and Banking Company of Georgia
Founded1833
Defunct1971
FateMerged into Central of Georgia Railroad, subsidiary of Southern Railway
Headquarters
Macon, Georgia
,
United States
Area served
Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee (via connections)
Key people
E. H. Harriman (majority stakeholder 1907–1909)
ProductsFreight and passenger rail services
ParentSouthern Railway (from 1963)

The Central of Georgia Railway began its existence as the Central Rail Road and Canal Company in 1833. To secure investment funding, it was renamed the Central Rail Road and Banking Company of Georgia. This railroad established a crucial link between the Macon and Western Railroad at Macon and Savannah, effectively connecting Chattanooga on the Tennessee River to ports along the Atlantic coast. Construction from Savannah to the eastern bank of Macon took place between 1837 and 1843, with a bridge into Macon finalized in 1851.

In 1963, the company was purchased by Southern Railway (U.S.), which itself merged into Norfolk Southern Railway in 1982. Despite the similarity in names, the Central of Georgia Railway is distinct from both the Georgia Central Railway and the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company.

Acquisitions

The Central of Georgia broadened its footprint through targeted acquisitions and leases, consolidating numerous regional railroads to enhance its system:

These strategic purchases significantly strengthened the company's presence across vital regions in Georgia and Alabama.

Corporate history

In 1888, control of the Central passed to Richmond Terminal Company, a Virginia-based holding company. Due to financial troubles, the Central of Georgia entered bankruptcy, leading to a foreclosure sale and its reorganization under the name Central of Georgia Railway on November 1, 1895.

By 1907, influential railroad investor E. H. Harriman acquired a majority stake, which he subsequently sold in 1909 to the Illinois Central Railroad, another entity under his influence. The Great Depression caused CofG to enter receivership in 1932, a status that persisted until 1948. In 1956, ownership transferred to the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway ("Frisco"), aiming to gain access to Atlantic seaports; however, a merger was blocked by the Interstate Commerce Commission. Consequently, Frisco divested its CofG shares to the Southern Railway in 1963.

At year-end 1956, CofG operated approximately of road mileage and track length, reporting freight revenue totaling 3.2 billion net ton-miles alongside 73 million passenger-miles. These statistics do not include several shortline affiliates.

CofG officially became a subsidiary of Southern Railway on June 17, 1963. In 1971, Southern merged CofG with both the Savannah and Atlanta Railway and the Wrightsville and Tennille Railroad, forming the Central of Georgia Railroad.

Passenger services

The distinguished Nancy Hanks II operated from 1947 until 1971, connecting Atlanta and Savannah with a stop in Macon. Another prominent route was the Man o' War (1947–1970), which ran between Columbus and Atlanta. Both trains were named in honor of renowned racehorses. When Amtrak took over Southern Railway's passenger operations in 1971, the "Nancy Hanks II" service was discontinued, while the "Crescent Limited" continued under Southern Railway's management until 1977.

During the mid-1950s, CofG collaborated with the Alabama & Saint Andrews Bay Railroad to provide service to Gulf Coast locations such as Panama City, Florida.

CofG tracks also hosted several long-distance interstate trains, including the City of Miami (running Chicago to Miami), the Southland (linking Chicago and Cincinnati to St. Petersburg), the Flamingo (operating between Cincinnati and Jacksonville), and the Seminole (connecting Chicago and Jacksonville).

It is important to note that CofG upheld racial segregation policies on its trains into the 1960s, despite earlier desegregation mandates issued by the Interstate Commerce Commission that affected most other Southern railroads.

Modern status

Currently, Central of Georgia exists solely as a paper railroad within the Norfolk Southern Railway system. Around 42 miles of its former mainline are leased by the Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway from the State of Georgia. On April 5, 2012, Norfolk Southern introduced NS 8101, a GE ES44AC locomotive painted in Central of Georgia’s traditional diesel livery, as part of a series paying tribute to predecessor railroads.

Historic preservation

Several former Central of Georgia assets have been preserved and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include:

  • Central of Georgia Depot located in Andalusia, Alabama
  • The Savannah Shops and Terminal Facilities of Central of Georgia Railway, now housing the Georgia State Railroad Museum and Savannah History Museum
  • Macon Terminal Complex in Macon, Georgia, featuring conserved terminal buildings along with roundhouse foundations
  • The Central of Georgia Depot in Millen, Georgia, currently utilized as yard offices by Norfolk Southern

Surviving equipment

A number of Central of Georgia locomotives and rolling stock have been preserved:

Locomotives:

  • Central of Georgia Railway No. 509 (2-8-0), displayed at Central City Park in Macon, GA
  • Central of Georgia Railway No. 349 (4-4-0), loaned to Children's Hospital at Erlanger in Chattanooga, TN
  • Central of Georgia Railway No. 109 (4-4-0), exhibited at Pioneer Museum of Alabama in Troy, AL
  • Central of Georgia Railway No. 1 (SW-1 switcher), preserved at Georgia State Railroad Museum in Savannah, GA
  • Central of Georgia Railway No. 223 (2-8-0), also housed at Georgia State Railroad Museum in Savannah, GA
  • Central of Georgia Railway No. 109 (RS-3), part of Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s collection in Chattanooga, TN
  • Central of Georgia Railway No. 201 (SD7), painted to represent Southern Railway No. 197 at Virginia Museum of Transportation

Rolling stock:

  • Jim Crow-era Passenger Cars Nos. 606 and 607 (Pullman-built, 1911), owned by Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
  • Passenger Cars Nos. 660, 661, and 662 (American Car and Foundry, 1947) originally from the Nancy Hanks II, held or exhibited by institutions including those in Meridian, MS and Southeastern Railway Museum
  • Jim Crow Passenger Car No. 527 (Pullman, 1924), formerly assigned to The Seminole, under ownership of Southeastern Railway Museum
  • Jim Crow Passenger Car No. 906 (Pullman, 1924), which served on Man O'War and Southern Steam Specials; currently located at Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
  • Jim Crow Passenger Car No. 907 (American Car & Foundry, 1947), held by Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
  • Caboose No. 31580 (constructed at Macon shops in 1937), preserved at New Hope Railroad in Pennsylvania
  • Caboose X-92 (converted from ventilated boxcar in 1942), displayed at Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, GA

Heritage Unit

To celebrate Norfolk Southern's 30th anniversary, the company adorned 20 locomotives with paint schemes from predecessor railroads. Among these was NS #8101, a GE ES44AC locomotive featuring the Central of Georgia livery.

See also

External links

Further reading

  • Drury, George H. (1985). The Historical Guide to North American Railroads. Milwaukee: Kalmbach Publishing Company. pp. 53–56. ISBN 0-89024-072-8.
  • Prince, Richard E. (1976). Central of Georgia Railway and Connecting Lines. Stanway-Wheelwright Printing Company. ISBN 978-0-9600088-8-9.
  • McQuigg, Jackson; Galloway, Tammy; McIntosh, Scott (2004). Central of Georgia Railway. Images of Rail. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-1616-5.

Related profiles

CCentral Railroad and Banking Company of GeorgiaCCentral of Georgia RailwayEEast Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia RailroadEEast Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railway
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