Western and Atlantic Railroad

Western & Atlantic Railroad

Company type	Publicly owned railway
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	December 21, 1836 (1836-12-21)
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia , United States
Area served	Southeastern United States
Products	Freight rail services
Owner	State of Georgia
Parent	CSX Transportation (lessee)

The Western & Atlantic Railroad of the State of Georgia (W&A) is a publicly owned railway leased to CSX Transportation, operating across the Southeastern United States between Atlanta, Georgia and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Established on December 21, 1836, it was instrumental in regional growth; notably, Atlanta originated as its terminus, identified by the Atlanta Zero Mile Post.

Leased to CSX, the W&A Subdivision stretches roughly from Chattanooga to Marietta, Georgia, linking at its northern end with the Chattanooga Subdivision of the Nashville Division and continuing southward as the Atlanta Terminal Subdivision.

Initially built with a gauge track, this railroad holds historical importance due to its involvement in the Great Locomotive Chase during the Civil War on April 12, 1862. Presently, it remains a vital component of CSX’s infrastructure, enhancing its competitive position in Southeastern freight rail services.

Establishment

In 1836, the Georgia General Assembly authorized the Western & Atlantic Railroad’s construction to establish a connection between the port of Savannah and the Midwest. The original line extended from Chattanooga to near the Chattahoochee River in what is now Fulton County. Its goal was to link with the Georgia Railroad from Augusta and the Macon and Western Railroad, which connected Macon to Savannah. An engineer chose a terminal location near today’s Forsyth and Magnolia Streets, marking the zero milepost later relocated adjacent to Underground Atlanta’s southern entrance. This location evolved into a community named "Terminus," incorporated as Marthasville in 1843 and renamed "Atlanta" by Georgia’s General Assembly in 1845. The railroad significantly influenced economic growth throughout northern Georgia.

Funding source for public education

Governor Joseph E. Brown, elected in 1857, advocated for free public schooling aimed at impoverished white children, proposing that revenues from the state-owned Western & Atlantic Railroad finance these schools. Nonetheless, opposition from planters who preferred private education and initially insufficient railroad profits delayed these initiatives. At that time, the railroad suffered from poor management and financial difficulties. In 1858, Brown appointed businessman John W. Lewis as Superintendent to overhaul operations. Lewis introduced stringent fiscal measures that transformed the railroad into a profitable venture, generating $400,000 annually for the state treasury.

During Brown’s 1861 re-election campaign, Lewis unexpectedly resigned his post as Superintendent. To prevent political fallout, Brown requested confidentiality; however, news of the resignation leaked to the media, causing tension despite their long-standing friendship.

Leasing

Until 1870, known as the State Road, the railroad was operated directly by the state under a superintendent appointed by the governor of Georgia. On December 27, 1870, control was leased to the Western & Atlantic Railroad Company, consisting of 23 investors including former governor Joseph E. Brown, for $25,000 monthly. This lease lasted two decades before passing to the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis (NC&StL) for an additional 29 years. At lease transfer, the line was in poor shape; most locomotives were outdated and freight cars dismantled. A critical lease provision added in 1890 mandated that all improvements made by lessees—including infrastructure, right of way, and equipment—would revert to state ownership upon lease expiration.

NC&StL held the lease until its acquisition by its parent company Louisville and Nashville Railroad, which was itself owned by Atlantic Coast Line Railroad—a principal member of Family Lines System and later CSX Transportation. CSX currently operates this line as the Western & Atlantic Subdivision. The existing lease agreement between CSXT and Georgia began in May 1986 and was set to expire on December 31, 2019. On September 7, 2018, CSX and state officials agreed to extend this lease for an additional 50 years starting in 2020 at $1 million per month with annual escalations.

Between mid-1864 and 1865, following Union forces’ capture of the line, operations were temporarily overseen by the United States Military Railroad.

Distances of depots from Atlanta (1867 and 2008)

#	Location	Milepost (1867)	Milepost (2008)	Remarks
1	Marietta, Georgia	20	20	Construction began in 1838, finished by 1842
2	Big Shanty—renamed Kennesaw around 1870	28	28	Chase initiated in front of Lacy Hotel
3	Acworth, Georgia	35	35
4	Allatoona, Georgia	40	40
5	Emerson, Georgia	45	45
6	Cartersville, Georgia	47	47
7	Cassville, Georgia	52	52
8	Kingston, Georgia	59	59

Departures from Atlanta occurred at both 8:50 a.m. and 7 p.m., with arrivals recorded at approximately 1:35 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. Although track alignments have been modified and enhanced since 1867, the milepost markers have remained largely consistent.

Great Locomotive Chase

On April 12, 1862, the locomotive General was halted at Big Shanty, Georgia (present-day Kennesaw) for breakfast when James J. Andrews and his Union raiding party captured it. Their sabotage efforts involved severing telegraph wires and lifting rails; however, their attempt to ignite a covered bridge was unsuccessful. The train’s conductor, William A. Fuller, pursued the stolen General initially on foot and by handcar, later commandeering additional locomotives—Yonah, William R. Smith, and finally Texas—in pursuit through Dalton and Tunnel Hill, Georgia.

Near Ringgold at milepost 116.3, just a few miles from Chattanooga, the raiders abandoned the General. Most were apprehended; eight were executed while others either escaped or were exchanged as prisoners of war. These individuals became the inaugural recipients of the Medal of Honor.

After the chase

Both locomotives returned to operational status following the chase. The General was eventually retired to the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway Union Depot in Chattanooga and underwent refurbishment in 1890 to attract tourists by highlighting Civil War history. In commemoration of the raid’s centennial in 1962, the Louisville & Nashville Railroad restored it to working condition for ceremonial runs including a notable trip from Atlanta to Chattanooga via the Western & Atlantic Railroad. During the 1960s, it participated in excursion tours across railways in the eastern United States until legal challenges halted further use. A court ruling in 1971 confirmed railroad ownership rights, facilitating its relocation in 1972 to Kennesaw’s Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History.

The Texas, later renamed Cincinnati, was withdrawn from service shortly after the turn of the century and placed on a siding before being moved to Grant Park in 1911. It was subsequently exhibited at the Atlanta Cyclorama.

This event holds lasting importance for its influence on railroad history and Civil War heritage tourism, illustrating strategic transportation leadership during wartime conditions.

Re-gauging

Before the Civil War, the majority of railroads in the Southern United States operated on a 5 ft (1,524 mm) broad gauge. On June 1, 1886, a compulsory conversion to the Northern standard gauge of 4 ft 8.5 in was implemented. The Western & Atlantic Railroad (W&A) managed to re-gauge its full 138-mile track in less than a day, commencing at 1:30 p.m. on May 31 and concluding by 10 a.m. the following morning. More than 400 laborers moved one rail inward by precisely 3 inches, adjusting the track gauge to 4 ft 9 in to ensure interoperability. Important locomotives, such as the General, underwent re-gauging during this operation.

W&A in modern times

Since 1862, the W&A has experienced minimal alterations aside from slight track realignments conducted by the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway and modifications related to Lake Allatoona’s formation, which resulted in track removal through Allatoona Pass. The bridge spanning the Etowah River was replaced, and the Chetoogeta Mountain Tunnel located in Tunnel Hill, Georgia, was abandoned in 1928 due to its inadequate size for larger rolling stock; it was superseded by a newly constructed tunnel nearby.

Several markers honor significant moments along the railroad: near Kennesaw’s Big Shanty Museum stands a marker indicating where the Great Locomotive Chase commenced; Milepost 116.3 north of Ringgold signifies its conclusion; and at Chattanooga National Cemetery, a memorial dedicated to Andrew's Raiders features the General locomotive mounted atop it, underscoring this railroad’s historical importance.

Chief executives

During the construction phase, management was overseen by Chief Engineers; following completion, operational control transitioned to Superintendents.

Chief Engineers

• Stephen Harriman Long: May 12, 1837 – November 3, 1840
• James S. Williams: 1841
• Charles Fenton Mercer Garnett: February 7, 1842 – December 31, 1847
• William L. Mitchell: January 1, 1848 – 1852

Superintendents

• William L. Wadley: February 2, 1852 – February 1, 1853
• George Yonge: 1853 – ?
• John Wood Lewis: January 1, 1858 – December 1860
• John Sharpe Rowland: October 1, 1861 – September 18, 1863
• George D. Phillips: November 5, 1863 – ?

See also

• Chetoogeta Mountain Tunnel
• List of railroads of the Confederate States of America
• Streight's Raid
• Western and Atlantic Depot (Dalton, Georgia)

External links

• Building the Western & Atlantic Railroad
• Western & Atlantic Railroad
• Western & Atlantic Railroad in the Civil War
• Western & Atlantic Depot historical marker
• State R.R. Survey historical marker
• Original records of the Western & Atlantic Railroad are housed at the Georgia Archives .