motorbreath
Earth Rocker
Gainesville Midland in Georgia 1956 for those who might be interested in that sort of thing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMeGSQAr-qg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMeGSQAr-qg
Georgia
- Thread starter motorbreath
- Start date
motorbreath
Earth Rocker
No, I wasn't born until 1973. That is just something I found a while back.
that is amazing,I thought at first steam stopped running on this railroad but now that I saw the footage all I can remember was the huge 2-10-0s owned by them at that time which made me think again,the remaining steamers now serve as a tribute to a great shortline known as the Gainesville midland railroad!
motorbreath
Earth Rocker
Well it was from 1956.that is amazing,I thought at first steam stopped running on this railroad but now that I saw the footage all I can remember was the huge 2-10-0s owned by them at that time which made me think again,the remaining steamers now serve as a tribute to a great shortline known as the Gainesville midland railroad!
I have a lot of family ties up here in GA, and I have only been here for a year. What is cool is the amount of preserved (even if static only) steam in North Georgia. That very loco is preserved, and although I am not sure of where it was filmed at, it looks like where I am at.
magickmaker
New member
Years ago, they moved one of the old steam locomotives that had been placed on display. Problem was, that though it was in a good place, the road needed widened. I remember going there and taking pictures (since lost) of it, and can tell you that it ended up being quite funny.
First they tried to lift the tender, but couldn't. No matter how hard the crane strained, they couldn't get it to budge. They thought, at the time that it had been welded to the rails, so they went to move the locomotive.
Compared to the tender, it moved quite easily, and was out of the way in several hours. The next day they came back to the tender and tried again. However it wasn't welded to the rails and yet the cranes STILL couldn't lift it. They tried everything, and it was late in the day that they found the ironic solution.
Someone suggested they check to see if the tender was empty. Clamboring up on the thing, they dipped a "stick" (long pole) into the water tank and found it half empty. No shock there, the engine supposedly had been taken to that spot originally of its own power. Then they did the same with the fuel tank (Oil burner) and were shocked to find that the bunker was FULL. To the brim with oil. It took the better part of the day to pull all the oil off, which was reclaimed. (I forget what they did with it.) Once it was out of the way, the tender too moved quite easily.
Since then, I asked what happened, and the story I get is that the Gainsville Midland had just run a working loco off onto a siding for preservation. Someone, perhaps not thinking in the process, had topped her off. There was talk that the railroad may have considered using it again, and wanted the loco (which was in great condition) ready should they need to bring her into service again.
First they tried to lift the tender, but couldn't. No matter how hard the crane strained, they couldn't get it to budge. They thought, at the time that it had been welded to the rails, so they went to move the locomotive.
Compared to the tender, it moved quite easily, and was out of the way in several hours. The next day they came back to the tender and tried again. However it wasn't welded to the rails and yet the cranes STILL couldn't lift it. They tried everything, and it was late in the day that they found the ironic solution.
Someone suggested they check to see if the tender was empty. Clamboring up on the thing, they dipped a "stick" (long pole) into the water tank and found it half empty. No shock there, the engine supposedly had been taken to that spot originally of its own power. Then they did the same with the fuel tank (Oil burner) and were shocked to find that the bunker was FULL. To the brim with oil. It took the better part of the day to pull all the oil off, which was reclaimed. (I forget what they did with it.) Once it was out of the way, the tender too moved quite easily.
Since then, I asked what happened, and the story I get is that the Gainsville Midland had just run a working loco off onto a siding for preservation. Someone, perhaps not thinking in the process, had topped her off. There was talk that the railroad may have considered using it again, and wanted the loco (which was in great condition) ready should they need to bring her into service again.
motorbreath
Earth Rocker
I wonder which one it was. The one in the video is on display about 10 minutes from here in Winder, GA.
magickmaker
New member
I know it was in Gainsville for years, but I'm not sure which it was. When I was in college I think there were two on display 
motorbreath
Earth Rocker
It looks like the area I am currently in, which is near Dacula where there is a double track CSX line. There is also the CSX line going from Gainesville to Athens which I was wondering about. It does look a lot like what I have seen of that one, but I'm not originally from GA, so I'm not sure. I also worked in a building 20ft from the NS line in Commerce, which goes to Athens. Feel free to give me any info on the video.
motorbreath
Earth Rocker
I can take no credit, but I do think it's pretty sweet.
I shall make a comparison photo series later in the week when i have time, alot of changes in some of those spots, I have shot trains at the exact same spot as many of the scenes in the video. The line from Athens to Gainesville was the Gainesville Midland featured in the video, was bought out by SAL in 1959 who promptly replaced the decapods with RSD2's (the only thing that could run on the stick rail. ) Years of improvement by Seaboard and CSX still cant hide the original nature of the line, practically laid right on the contour of the land with little grading.
On a related note:
I found this recently, is it any good, dont have TRS currently to test.
http://trainzproroutes.com/downloads/index.php?act=view&id=1401
If someone here wants to download, please post some screenies.
On a related note:
I found this recently, is it any good, dont have TRS currently to test.
http://trainzproroutes.com/downloads/index.php?act=view&id=1401
If someone here wants to download, please post some screenies.
motorbreath
Earth Rocker
The photo comparison would be great. Thanks in advance if you actually get the time to do that. I think I tried that little route before and it was a simple loop type HO layout if I remember correctly. So it's definitely not a proto route.
Do you know much about the line running through Commerce? It is NS now, and it was obviously Southern before that, but I know it didn't start as a Southern line. When I was working in Commerce, I saw autoracks going to the Toyota yard, hoppers going to the silo next to the Toyota yard, and boxcars, many still in Southern paint. I know that line goes to Athens still, but I do not know if it is used past Commerce and the Toyota yard. I don't know where the boxcars end up. I'm a Tampa native and have only been here for about a year, so I'm trying to find out all that I can.
Do you know much about the line running through Commerce? It is NS now, and it was obviously Southern before that, but I know it didn't start as a Southern line. When I was working in Commerce, I saw autoracks going to the Toyota yard, hoppers going to the silo next to the Toyota yard, and boxcars, many still in Southern paint. I know that line goes to Athens still, but I do not know if it is used past Commerce and the Toyota yard. I don't know where the boxcars end up. I'm a Tampa native and have only been here for about a year, so I'm trying to find out all that I can.
The line through Commerce is indeed a original Southern line (unless you want to go back to the 1800's, and I dont really)
It was Southerns line between Lula (where it connects to the Piedmont Division) and Athens. The line is still in use all the way to Athens, but the big customers are all in commerce or north of it. NS operates the line down to Center, GA (a unincorporated town along 441) after which the line is leased to the Athens Line Railroad. The ex-Southern Boxcars are most likely heading down to be interchanged with Athens Line, which spots them at Dairy Pak in Athens, though I dont know how much they have been getting recently.
You would probably be interested in my site:
http://athensrails.com/
Has alot of info on the lines around Athens, and if you got the time you can virtually ride the Athens Line from Center to Watkinsville. The sites a constant work in progress, so keep that in mind.
It was Southerns line between Lula (where it connects to the Piedmont Division) and Athens. The line is still in use all the way to Athens, but the big customers are all in commerce or north of it. NS operates the line down to Center, GA (a unincorporated town along 441) after which the line is leased to the Athens Line Railroad. The ex-Southern Boxcars are most likely heading down to be interchanged with Athens Line, which spots them at Dairy Pak in Athens, though I dont know how much they have been getting recently.
You would probably be interested in my site:
http://athensrails.com/
Has alot of info on the lines around Athens, and if you got the time you can virtually ride the Athens Line from Center to Watkinsville. The sites a constant work in progress, so keep that in mind.
motorbreath
Earth Rocker
I have seen a lot of video from that a while back, and I was wondering if you were the same guy. That's pretty cool. I'll have to check it out again. I have spent very little time in Athens, and have mostly been on or around the little highway loop. I need to find some better areas to explore.
motorbreath
Earth Rocker
After checking out your site, you are my bonafide Georgia Rail hero. I think when I first saw the Athens video I must have just been doing a google vid search of Georgia trains or something. I for sure didn't realize the wealth of info and pics existed. I added it to my favorites and I am going to be studying it. Thanks a lot, and I will be bugging you soon with questions, I'm sure. You opened a can of worms.
Glad your enjoying the site! Feel free to ask away, im glad someones getting something out of the work ive done.
Where are you staying at right now? I can probably give you some good suggestions of places to railfan, theres alot of good ones in the Athens and Atlanta area.
Where are you staying at right now? I can probably give you some good suggestions of places to railfan, theres alot of good ones in the Athens and Atlanta area.
motorbreath
Earth Rocker
Thanks, Nikos.
I'm near the Hamilton Mill area, between there and Braselton. The closest track to me are if I head down Mt. Moriah road from 124 and end up near the CSX yard in Dacula. I was in Commerce with a project for a while in the old Opera building right in front of the tracks. I pretty much saw a train a day when I was there. And when I have gone to Athens, it was via 441 from Commerce. I have not seen a train past the Commerce area Toyota yard though. I have also seen the weird little switcher at the Goldkist silo. I welcome anything you wish to share with me. And this morning I had nearly a whole pot of Sumatra while checking out your site and pics. Great stuff on there, and I know most of it is easily accessible to me, I just have to find my way around that area a little more.
I'm near the Hamilton Mill area, between there and Braselton. The closest track to me are if I head down Mt. Moriah road from 124 and end up near the CSX yard in Dacula. I was in Commerce with a project for a while in the old Opera building right in front of the tracks. I pretty much saw a train a day when I was there. And when I have gone to Athens, it was via 441 from Commerce. I have not seen a train past the Commerce area Toyota yard though. I have also seen the weird little switcher at the Goldkist silo. I welcome anything you wish to share with me. And this morning I had nearly a whole pot of Sumatra while checking out your site and pics. Great stuff on there, and I know most of it is easily accessible to me, I just have to find my way around that area a little more.
Pictures including scenery...
Thanks to Nikos1 for this type of picture of the NS Chattahoochee River Bridge...
I reviewed tons of pics today using a Google search of "NS Whittaker Intermodal Yard" that had selections of videos & pictures of trains that had either "just-departed," "or "headed-for" Whittaker IMF...they were taken in Mableton, or Austell & even those just showed the head-end or train with no way to recognise the location.
...Except Nikos pics, at Powder Springs & Cowart, the location of crossovers that also featured the signal installations...great work to find when your modeling a route!
Another thing, I have aerial views of Whittaker IMF from NASA World Wind, that shows no terminal, and Google Earth that shows the yard, and Bing Maps, that have Birds-eye view...the intermodal yard was "painted" onto original elevation map, so that instead of being flat, the intermodal yard has grades that vary about 7meters!
You guys take care, not to trespass, and for your own personal safety!
Thanks to Nikos1 for this type of picture of the NS Chattahoochee River Bridge...I reviewed tons of pics today using a Google search of "NS Whittaker Intermodal Yard" that had selections of videos & pictures of trains that had either "just-departed," "or "headed-for" Whittaker IMF...they were taken in Mableton, or Austell & even those just showed the head-end or train with no way to recognise the location.
...Except Nikos pics, at Powder Springs & Cowart, the location of crossovers that also featured the signal installations...great work to find when your modeling a route!
Another thing, I have aerial views of Whittaker IMF from NASA World Wind, that shows no terminal, and Google Earth that shows the yard, and Bing Maps, that have Birds-eye view...the intermodal yard was "painted" onto original elevation map, so that instead of being flat, the intermodal yard has grades that vary about 7meters!
You guys take care, not to trespass, and for your own personal safety!