Hello all,

Below is an e-mail I received from our buddy in the Griffin area, Gary. He reports that NS may be about to upgrade the "C" line as an obvious bypass of Atlanta. Many of us have thought this was a solution to the congestion of Atlanta and perhaps NS is to the point they are going to do something. Can anyone tell us the condition of this line and what it will take to get it back in shape. Shame there's no longer the line from Cedartown to Chattanooga. NS may wish one day they had that one back.

Bryan

Subj: "C" Line reopen? Date: 00-03-04 08:12:10 EST From: IronImage To: tcthornh@bellsouth.net CC: sdlindsey@mindspring.com, BSmith3608, DavidCofGa CC: bdelmar@dtae.org

Hi guys!

Here is the latest rumor flying around Central land...

It seems the "secondary line" NS referred to about upgrading is in fact the "C" between Griffin and Cedartown. Or more accurately, between Senoia and Griffin.

My information here is that a "big meeting" was held about a month ago in which this was confirmed. Everyone at the "big meeting" was told to keep this information quiet because of the fear of CSX. I have been told this by two different people. It seems NS is in great fear of CSX using this route to access Scherer.

With all the hiring ongoing in Macon it would seem something is planned. I keep hearing about more trains on the Southwest, but no improvements have started down that way as yet.

More information as it becomes available!

Gary

-- Bryan Smith (bsmith3608@aol.com), March 04, 2000

Answers

Andrew,

Yeah, I would really hate to see the Griffin - Senoia segment let loose on some rails to trails program.

And Frank, You have somewhat of a point there, but I still have to disagree: take the Macon - Columbus - Bham segment for example. That line has seen a lot of traffic ever since NS rehabilitated it a few years ago. It was thought that after the flood of '94 there would never be another through train running between Columbus and Birmingham because NS was not going to pump any money to repair it.......now look at it.....through trains every day running between Macon and Birmingham.

So I still hold hope that the C-line will again one day see through trains. Yeah, there's curves and hills, but the Atlanta - Chattanooga line has a lot of them, yet they still run droves of trains up and down it all day and night. And besides, NS doesn't seem to have a problem running those heavy coal trains down the C- line to the Georgia Power Plant at Wansley (Yates) every day.

-- Jared Blocker-NS (jlaneblock@hotmail.com), December 17, 2003.

Hope springs eternal. Or, is it as someone else said, I Have a Dream!

It seems every ex-CG line has at one time or another been a candidate for upgrading and use as a bypass around Atlanta: Macon-Columbus- B'ham, Macon-Madison-Athens-Lula, and Macon-Griffin-Cedartown-Green, and the all-time favorite Macon-Griffin-Jonesboro-Atlanta (so, it doesn't bypass Atlanta, but it's a CG line and does parallel the ex- Southern mainline). And each one has a railfan booster or 2, but little discernable on-line traffic.

NONE in the last 20 or so years of speculation has emerged. Why? Branch line lay of the land engineering = lots of curves and hills, light rail. Great for pictures, lousy for running long trains over.

My 2 cents worth,

Frank Greene

-- Frank Greene (fgreen01@midsouth.rr.com), December 16, 2003.

Jared,

Thank Goodness! All we need is to lose another line to the Rails-to- Trails lobby. I'm glad to hear NS is hanging on to the line.

-- Andrew Durden (gapower97@yahoo.com), December 16, 2003.

One of NS's capital projects for 2000 was to rehabilitate the C line from Griffin through Senoia, all the way to the Atlanta-Chattanooga connection at Green (Brice?) to bypass freight traffic around Atlanta. However, after the Conrail acquisition and the downturn in the economy, NS more or less scrapped the idea.........for now.

Another thing: NS's real estate dept has turned down many requests by outside sources looking to buy the Griffin - Senoia side for excursion or "rails to trails" use. NS obviously has the line in the backburner for some reason................

-- Jared Blocker (NS) (jlaneblock@hotmail.com), December 15, 2003.

The only recent activity I have seen on the C-Line was a MOW crew working in Turin doing some patch-work, replacing a tie here and there and another machine trimming back tree limbs and cleaning the trenches. Haven't seen the Senoia Turn in quite awhile.

-- Jonathan Vanover (jvanover30263@yahoo.com), March 30, 2003.

...So, what ever happened? A year and a half later, the line is still in serious need of help. (Though the dudes on the 4 wheelers seem to love it)

-- Elton Rosser (Repoman801@aol.com), March 26, 2003.

I spotted more C-Line activity about a week or two ago. As I started out on my route fr the day, I drove out by Temple Avenue in Newnan near the Highway 34 Crossing and saw nothing on the line. A few hours later, I drove by the same area and spotted a boxcar and a few lumber cars parked on the passing siding. I drove up to Bonnel to see if they were switching anything in or out of there, and saw nothing. Less than two hours or so later I drove back by the passing siding again, and the boxcar and lumber cars were gone. I'm assuming the local dropped off a few extra cars on the passing siding before running some covered hoppers down to Wynpack in Senoia so the train wouldn't be too long to turn around at the Senoia passing siding. This is just an Educated-Guess as to what might have been going on that day. The locomotive that has been assigned to the C-Line locals appears to be a former Conrail SD40. The unit, when I saw it parked in Turin several weeks ago is a "low-nose" unit, unlike the "high- hood" GP40s and SD40s used by Southern and N&W. I also remember hearing the local on the C-Line recently in town and the unit has a Nathan 3-Chime horn rather than the Leslie 5-Chime horn used by Southern and N&W. This evidence leans toward this unit being a former Conrail unit. I will admit, I do miss the "high-hood" GP38 that was assigned to this line for the longest time. I used to be able to tell that the C-Line local is in town when I heard that distinct NS horn blowing in the distance. While David Payne may be the C-Line historian, I can attest, I was there through the 1990s with the C- Line and have seen and learned alot about the modern operations of the C-Line as the branch line it operates as today. Thanks to Mr. Payne and my railfanning, I have become a C-Line enthusiest and dream of someday building a prototypical diorama of a section of the line. I already have both an HO and N Scale layout. The N Scale layout currently has an Atlas N&W SD35 assigned to my "Plyboard Local," but eventually would like to get a GP38 in NS paint. I'm also highly persuaded to grab a CofG GP7 as well. :) I'll keep you posted of any more C-Line activity.

Jonathan Vanover "With all of your getting, get understanding." Proverbs 4:7

-- Jonathan Vanover (jon4jesus@charter.net), November 13, 2001.

Jonathan, The line running parallel to Highway 16 in Turin is part of the C- Line; which extended from Experiment to Chattanooga. A67 or A68 makes a twice-weekly (or so) run to Senoia to switch covered hoppers of plastic pellets for WynPak (Flex-on in bygone years). David Payne

-- David Payne (DavidCofGa@aol.com), July 17, 2000.

I'm not a member of the Central Of Georgia Historical Society. In fact, I'm not even originally from here, but I love Greg's idea of an Operating Museum on the "C-Line." However, i think the Museum should even go a step further and have runs of former Seaboard, and Georgia Group Units as well. Like a South Metro version of the Southeastern Railroad Museum, so us folks down here in Coweta County won't have to drive all the way up to Duluth in Atlanta Traffic to enjoy some Railroad History. I'm originaly from eastern KY and grew up with C&O and Chessie System, but since living here for 13 years, I'm taking a deep interest in the history of Georgia's Railroads. One question that I do have out of curiosity. I've done some railfanning in Newnan and out on Highway 16 in Turin going towards Senoia. Is this line running parallel to Highway 16 in Turin, part of the old "C-Line?" or does it run to a different area, because back in late 1999, I noticed that the train still runs through Turin going towards Senoia a few times per week. Can anybody educate me a little better on this line? Thanks.

Jonathan Vanover

-- Jonathan Vanover (webwhizz@phoenixdsl.com), July 17, 2000.

Awwright, which one of you guys will bust open his piggy bank and buy that Griffin-Senoia section outright from NS ?.....then you can run a first class tourist line operation for the good Atlanta area folks....bring back the Man-O-War ! (abeit a little East of where it actually ran...) Sweet sounding F units storming through Brooks....

-- Greg Hodges (105452.2520@compuserve.com), April 15, 2000.

If we are going to wishful think the out of service portions of the "C" line back to life then I wish the Chattooga & Chickamauga would open their line back to Lyerly. I should think big and wish them on down to Krannert Jct. I have often wondered, what if the line had not crossed the Southern in Rome, would that Krannert to Lyerly track still be in place?

Warren

-- Warren D. Stephens (wdstephens@prodigy.net), April 13, 2000.

Hey, cut me a little slack......that was many years ago, when I was a mere lad.......but yes, Bro. Payne is correct, it happened......

-- Larry Goolsby (LGoolsby@aphsa.org), April 13, 2000.

I'm surprised that Larry doesn't recall the Super 8 movie of a Penn Central cab on the rear of the Griffin to Cedartown to Chattanooga local in 1971. The C-line was PC 29 years ago.

-- David Payne (DavidCofGa@aol.com), April 13, 2000.

I spotted a few out at Industry Yard yesterday but then if they sent them out they would disturb Richard's dog!

Warren

-- Warren D. Stephens (wdstephens@prodigy.net), April 13, 2000.

If NS has some former Penn Central engines around from the Conrail deal, they could send one of those down the line - it might feel right at home -

-- Larry Goolsby (LGoolsby@aphsa.org), April 13, 2000.

I checked the Griffin-Senoia line On April 11 and the only new thing was a dog taking a leak on the tracks at Brooks. The line is still overgrown with kudzu, small trees and poison ivy. Only a train crew from the Trans-Amazon Railway armed with either machetes or a weed wacker would feel comfortable going down this line.

--Rob Richardson

-- Rob Richardson (RichDent10@aol.com), April 13, 2000.

I did talk to my friend at work and from what I gathered it's not MofW related but it sounds like they are testing some way of converting a conventional transfer truck trailer to run like a road railer. He said they would slide trucks underneath that would raise up hydraulically and lift the trailer up to run like a Triple Crown trailer. I forgot to get directions and we both have been on overlaping vacations this month so when he is gone I am there and when I am gone he is at work. It is still there what ever it is. Sorry I jumped the gun but I would like to see this line come back in the worst way.If you are a fan of the "C line" like myself you will want to come to Summerville for our trip this weekend. I know with the Tennessee Valley RR Museum running regular trips down this line it's no longer rare mileage but this will be a train full of Central of Georgia enthusiast and not a load of people who want to ride the Choo Choo. Not to mention its around a third of the cost.

Warren

-- Warren D. Stephens (wdstephens@prodigy.net), April 11, 2000.

I haven't seen any posts to this thread in about a month. Rob or Warren, have either of you had a chance to check out the line between Griffin and Senoia to see anything is actually taking place there?

-- Stephen Flynt (StephenFlynt@hotmail.com), April 10, 2000.

My friend is not a railfan and is not up on railroad nomenclature but whatever it is he saw is still there according to him. I can't quite understand what he is talking about but maybe I can get directions to you off list Rob since you are in the area and you can check it out. I'll ask him tomorrow.

Warren

-- Warren D. Stephens (wdstephens@prodigy.net), March 08, 2000.

Like Warren's friend, I live near the C-line between Griffin and Brooks. However, I'd be quite amazed if a track crew is doing much of anything on that line, mainly because it's still disconnected at both ends. The C-line switch in Griffin was taken out several years ago, as was the CSX (or ACL, or AB&C, or SCL, or FL, or SBD, or CSXT or whatever it's being called this week)crossing at Senoia. Right now, the stretch between Griffin and Senoia is nothing more than a temptation waiting for a railfan with a small motor car and a large chainsaw.

-- Rob Richardson (RichDent10@aol.com), March 07, 2000.

I have a friend from work that lives between Brooks and Griffin. He said he has seen some NS MofW activity on the line. I can't confirm this because I haven't seen it first hand. Yes, the line from just west of Rome is either gone or no longer in NS hands. They may very well regret that some day. The portion from Lyerly through my hometown of Summerville to Chattanooga is operated by the Chattooga and Chickamauga RY. and they are fine folks. The CofGa Society will be having an excursion over their line starting at Trion April 15th. We will meet in the Summerville depot before hand. There will be a turntable going in at Summerville to turn Tennessee Valley steam engines and it already is in Summerville on a flat car and will be installed soon. It is the old L&N turntable from Boyals Yard in Birmingham. Let's keep our fingers crossed, Warren

-- Warren D. Stephens (wdstephens@prodigy.net), March 05, 2000.