Southern Historical groups.

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I would like to get some feedback on which Southern historical societies one should join. I belong to 4 historical societies representing my 4 favorite railroads. Southern is becoming my fifth favorie, but I can't see joining 2 societies. I understand this is a hard question, but people who like more than one railroad can find muliple societies getting to be expensive.

-- Jack Grasso (JACKGP20@aol.com), April 12, 2001

Answers

Actually there were 2 Southern groups until last year. The Southern Railway Historical Society was the original group. The Southern Railway Historical Association split off from the SRHS in 1986. It grew rapidly while the SRHS seemed to go into a slow decline until last year when it ceased to exist and I believe their archives was merged with that of the SRHA. I know I saw a large set of Southern Rails (the SRHS magazine) among the SRHA archives at the Kennesaw Museum last week--Larry

-- Larry Puckett (ljpuckett@comcast.net), May 26, 2004.

Jack, We just got thru an event known as 'KUDZU RAILS' at our museum (we are a Smithsonian affiliate). This was the first year...it was only a 3 day event with special rail excursions, forums, seminars, a private preview of a local live steam railway, model and layout displays, a train show sales event open all 3 days and unlimited access to our museum (home of the Rodgers, Ketchum & Grosvenor Locomotive - "THE GENERAL") with a fantastic Civil War Collection and a full scale replicated locomotive factory (the Glover Machine Works - the only railroad factory south of Richmond) using all of the original patterns, castings, machinery & 2 locomotives all restored by Smithsonian representatives & technicians. It's a full-scale belt driven factory. Anyway, we hope to do the 'KUDZU RAILS' again next year --- only bigger & better --- maybe a whole week. The shows participants were the ACL-SAL Historical Society, Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, Canton, St. Paul & Pacific Live Steamers, Central of Georgia Historical Society, The Georgia & Florida Historical Society, The Louisville & Nashville Historical Society, the N.C. & St. L. Historical Society, The Southern Railway Historical Society, The Tennessee, Alabama & Georgia Historical Society, The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum and the Atlanta Chapter of the NRHS. The museum archives has just been made the depository of the Southern Railroad Archives of some 6,000 square feet of SRR material. We are also in the process of adding 20,000 square feet to our already 40,000 sq. ft. building which will house more archives and a huge interactive education wing with many railroad layouts including one featuring Civil War Railroading and actually teaching 19th century railroading. My point is to go ahead and join any one or more of these societies or associations and come on down to Kennesaw and compare notes once or more per year.

-- George Deeming, Curator - Southern Museum (gdeeming@kennesaw.ga.us), May 25, 2004.

The correct name of the Southern Railway historical group is Southern Railway Historical Association (not Society). Their website is www. srha.net.

-- Dick Fisher (gladhand@starpower.net), May 25, 2004.

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