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Central of Georgia Railway

From Alfawiki
Central of Georgia Railway
Company typeRailroad
IndustryRail transport
PredecessorCentral Rail Road and Banking Company of Georgia
Founded1833
Defunct1971
FateAcquired by Southern Railway (1963); merged into Central of Georgia Railroad (1971)
Headquarters
Macon, Georgia
,
United States
Area served
Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida
Key people
E. H. Harriman (majority owner 1907–1909)
ProductsFreight and passenger railroad services
ParentSouthern Railway (from 1963)

The Central of Georgia Railway was initially established in 1833 under the name Central Rail Road and Canal Company. To secure investment funding, it underwent a name change to Central Rail Road and Banking Company of Georgia. This railroad linked the Macon and Western Railroad at Macon, Georgia with Savannah, Georgia, creating a vital transportation corridor from Chattanooga on the Tennessee River to ports along the Atlantic Ocean. Construction efforts took place between 1837 and 1843, with a bridge connecting directly into Macon completed by 1851.

In 1963, the Southern Railway (U.S.) acquired the company, which subsequently became part of the Norfolk Southern Railway in 1982.

It is important to note that despite having similar names, the Georgia Central Railway and the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company had no direct relationship with the Central of Georgia Railway.

Acquisitions

The company expanded its reach by strategically purchasing and leasing numerous railroads, including:

These acquisitions enhanced its dominance in key regions within Georgia and Alabama, bolstering its business strategy centered on regional connectivity and freight transportation.

Corporate history

In 1888, control of the Central was acquired by Richmond Terminal Company, a holding firm based in Virginia. Facing financial distress, the Central of Georgia entered bankruptcy proceedings leading to foreclosure in 1891. It was then reorganized as the Central of Georgia Railway on November 1, 1895.

Railroad tycoon E. H. Harriman took majority ownership in 1907 but sold his interest to the Illinois Central Railroad two years later in 1909. During the Great Depression, CofG went into receivership in 1932 but reemerged from it only by 1948. The St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, known as "Frisco," attempted to gain control in 1956 to secure Atlantic port access but was hindered by regulatory restrictions; it eventually transferred its holdings to the Southern Railway in 1963.

By 1956, CofG operated approximately of road mileage and track mileage, reporting freight traffic totaling 3.2 billion net ton-miles alongside passenger traffic amounting to 73 million passenger-miles. These statistics did not include certain shortline affiliates such as Savannah and Atlanta, L&W, Wadley Southern, or Wrightsville and Tennille.

On June 17, 1963, CofG became a subsidiary of Southern Railway. Later in 1971, Southern merged CofG with both the Savannah and Atlanta Railway and Wrightsville and Tennille Railroad into a unified entity named the Central of Georgia Railroad, thereby simplifying its corporate organization.

Passenger services

The famous Nancy Hanks II operated from 1947 to 1971, linking Atlanta with Savannah through Macon. This service was named to differentiate it from an earlier train bearing the same name. Another notable passenger train, the Man o' War (1947–1970), ran between Columbus and Atlanta via Newnan. Both trains capitalized on the prestige of champion racehorses for their branding.

Following Amtrak's takeover of Southern Railway’s passenger operations in 1971, the Nancy Hanks II was discontinued, though the Crescent Limited continued service until 1977.

Up until the mid-1950s, the CofG collaborated with the Alabama & Saint Andrews Bay Railroad to provide access to Gulf Coast destinations such as Panama City, Florida.

CofG tracks also formed part of the routes for long-distance interstate trains including the City of Miami, Southland, Flamingo, and Seminole.

It is important to note that CofG upheld segregated passenger accommodations into the 1960s despite desegregation mandates issued by the Interstate Commerce Commission, influencing both its regulatory compliance and social context during that era.

Contemporary status

Currently, the Central of Georgia exists exclusively as a paper railroad under the umbrella of Norfolk Southern Railway. The State of Georgia leases roughly 42 miles of its former mainline to the Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway. On April 5, 2012, Norfolk Southern introduced NS 8101, a GE ES44AC locomotive adorned in Central of Georgia’s traditional diesel livery, part of a tribute series honoring predecessor railroads.

Preserved landmarks

Numerous former Central of Georgia facilities have been preserved as historic landmarks and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Prominent sites include:

  • Central of Georgia Depot (Andalusia, Alabama)
  • The Savannah Shops and Terminal Facilities now serving as the Georgia State Railroad Museum and Savannah History Museum
  • Macon Terminal Complex, featuring the preserved terminal head house alongside original roundhouse foundations
  • Central of Georgia Depot in Millen, GA, currently utilized as Norfolk Southern’s yard offices

Surviving equipment

The collection of preserved Central of Georgia locomotives and rolling stock highlights its historical importance:

Locomotives:

  • Central of Georgia Railway 509 (2-8-0) – displayed at Central City Park in Macon, GA
  • Central of Georgia Railway 349 (4-4-0) – loaned to Children’s Hospital at Erlanger in Chattanooga, TN
  • Central of Georgia Railway 109 (4-4-0) – exhibited at Pioneer Museum of Alabama in Troy, AL
  • Central of Georgia Railway 1 (SW-1) – housed at Georgia State Railroad Museum in Savannah, GA
  • Central of Georgia Railway 223 (2-8-0) – part of the Georgia State Railroad Museum collection
  • Central of Georgia Railway 109 (RS-3) – maintained by Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, TN
  • Central of Georgia Railway 201 (SD7), painted as Southern Railway 197 – displayed at Virginia Museum of Transportation

Rolling stock:

  • Jim Crow-era Passenger Cars 606 and 607 (Pullman, 1911) – owned by Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
  • Passenger Cars 660, 661, and 662 (American Car and Foundry, 1947), linked to Nancy Hanks II service; exhibited at Meridian, MS; Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum; Southeastern Railway Museum respectively
  • Jim Crow Passenger Cars 527 and 906 (Pullman, 1924), utilized on The Seminole among other routes; held by Southeastern Railway Museum and Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
  • Jim Crow Passenger Car 907 (American Car & Foundry, 1947), a lightweight postwar model owned by Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
  • Caboose 31580 (constructed at Macon shops in 1937) – operated by New Hope Railroad in Pennsylvania
  • Caboose X-92 (converted from a ventilated boxcar in 1942) – preserved at Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, GA

These conserved pieces emphasize the company’s enduring influence within railroading history and its legacy in the transportation sector.

Heritage Unit

To commemorate Norfolk Southern's 30 years of operation, NS adorned 20 locomotives with paint schemes representing their predecessor railroads. Among these was NS #8101, a GE ES44AC locomotive, which was painted in the colors of the Central of Georgia.

See also

External links

Further reading

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