Did the Central of Ga Rwy pass through Alexander City, Ala.?

-- S. M. Tidwell (steamviews@aol.com), July 30, 1998

Answers

Opps! I DID say Alex City to Lafayette!! (In the last part of my post.) My mistake!! (The Roanoke branch intersects this line at Opelika and I left that part out!) Thanks for correcting my mistake!! (P.S. I have some photos of the CofG depot at Roanoke that I took with my digital camera if you want them. I also have some of the Lafayette depot taken at different angles than the ones on your site thaty I can send if you want them.)

-- Richard Cole (raracole@prodigy.net), November 29, 2001.

Sorry Dale, but according to the Handy Railroad Atlas of the United States by Kalmbach Publishing, the Central DID pass through Alexander City. I reread my post and I didn't say Alexander City was on the Roanoke branch, just that the depot at Stroud had been moved to Alex City. I'm sorry if I gave you or anyone else that impression. By the way, I've been to your web site before, and it's EXCELLENT!! I highly recommend it to anyone who loves old depots (like me), but can't always get the time to go exploring.

-- Richard Cole (raracole@prodigy.net), November 29, 2001.

I live in Alexander City and as a response to the above note, the C of G main does not run through Alex City and to LaFayette. It runs through from Birmingham to Opelika and on to Columbus, GA. My web site, DALE'S ALABAMA RAIL PICS, has MANY pictures of the line the whole length of it including many in Alexander City. Please visit and tell me what you think. The URL is as follows, just copy and paste it into your web browser: http://www.homestead.com/StagmiesALRailpics/Home.html

-- Dale E. Burns (burns186@bellsouth.net), November 29, 2001.

Mr. Tidwell, The C of G did pass through Alex City. The first house I ever lived in was on (almost literally !) the line from Opalika to Roanoke. The CofG depot at Stroud,AL on this line has been moved to Alex City. In 1982 Southern pulled up the rails between Layfette and Roanoke on this line. The rails still run through Alex City to Layfette where NS still serves the local woodyard. The depot at Layfette is used as a museum and contains some interesting CofG artifacts.

-- Richard Cole (colejr@juno.com), February 10, 1999.

S.M. You might also pose this question to Parker Lamb. He has given me some pictures of the Central at Opelika and the countryside between Opelika and Alex City. Maybe he has some pictures in town. Regards Bill

-- Bill Lowe (wblowe@rocketmail.com), October 07, 1998.

Yes. The Columbus-Birmingham line passes through downtown Alex City. The line is elevated and there are some nice curves for photographs. You can follow this line by taking old US 280.

-- Ron. Wright (rcwright@bellsouth.net), July 30, 1998.