Mods, if there's a better place for this, then move it there.
This thread is intended to provide visiting railfans where to watch trains, where to eat, and other things. I'll start it off:
Dalton is the only place between Atlanta and Chattanooga where Norfolk Southern and CSX pass thru the same city. If you are to visit, there's always places to go for you and your family when not watching trains. This post is about viewing trains in downtown Dalton, not for other places in Dalton.
Places to watch trains:
The obvious place to watch trains is the old Southern freight depot, now the Dalton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, next to the Norfolk Southern and CSX mainline. There is also an old Southern passenger car, Crescent City, one of four built for Southern's flagship train, the Crescent Limited. The problem with the restoration is that the only way to donate money to restore it is via a small box located next to the car. There's no website dedicated to it, nor is there a section on Dalton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau's website where you can donate money for the restoration. Anyway, back to railfanning.
The freight depot is located on East Morris Street, and provides a good view of the many trains passing thru town. The old freight platform is now a viewing platform, with chairs and a scanner, so you can know when a train is approaching. There is also a TV connected to a computer that's equipped with a system called ATCS system, which provides a schematic of the CSX and Norfolk Southern mainline between Atlanta and Chattanooga, allowing you to see where trains are and what the status of the signals are. It's similar to what a dispatcher would see on his computer screen. Also, the depot faces east, so your best pictures will be best in the morning to early afternoon. The depot is closed on weekends, so if you visit on the weekends, you'll have to go somewhere else to use the bathroom. It's located just south of the crossing of Norfolk Southern and CSX's mainline between Atlanta and Chattanooga. Across the tracks from the freight depot is the south end of CSX's yard, which is served by a train based out of Chattanooga. This train routinely features a caboose, usually on the south end of the train, so the caboose leads the train on its trip from Chattanooga.
On the south side of East Morris Street is passing sidings for both Norfolk Southern and CSX. However, you'll occasionally find a train parked there waiting to head north to Chattanooga. It's normally a CSX train, but sometimes you'll find a Norfolk Southern train sitting on Norfolk Southern's passing siding. However, they tend to be parked further south than CSX. That's because of the numerous railroad crossings in downtown Dalton, so NS trains wait further south to not block the railroad crossings.
North of the freight depot, is two bridges over the tracks: the two-lane Gordon Street bridge, and the four-lane Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard bridge. Both bridges do not have room to park your car and take pictures of trains. There is also a sign on the MLK Jr. Blvd bridge that prohibits pedestrians and bicyclists from using the bridge, as there isn't a lot of room on the bridge for them.
However, there are also a few more places to watch trains. One of which is a large parking deck located next to the freight depot, which allows not only for ground-level photos, but overhead photos of trains going by. This provides pictures of both northbound and southbound trains. However, for southbound trains, you'll have to head to the third level and above for pictures of southbound trains, as the bridge sits next to the Gordon Street bridge. There is also another parking deck, a few blocks north of the freight depot. This also provides overhead and ground-level photos. However, its best to take photos of northbound trains on ground level, as vegetation prevents you from taking pictures of southbound trains. Then there's also Depot Street, which the Dalton Depot Restaurant and Trackside Café is located on, and provides photos for trains heading south, as any northbound trains are blocked by the depot.
Now onto where to eat:
There are several places to eat downtown. The two most prominent is the Dalton Depot Restaurant and Trackside Café, and the Oakwood Café. The Oakwood Café is located a few blocks west of the tracks, at the corner of West Cuyler Street and South Pentz Street. There are also several other places to eat. The Sweet Spot, a frozen yogurt shop, provides outdoor seating and is located at the intersection of South Hamilton Street and Morris Street. The only place in downtown Dalton that provides a buffet is The Filling Station, a '50s gas station themed restaurant located north on North Hamilton Street, next to the CSX mainline. The Cremo Drive-In is located across the tracks from the freight depot, and it's not uncommon for railroad employees to come in and get something to eat. Because of the numerous textile mills in the surrounding area, there is a large Latino population, so restaurants serving Latin-American, often called Mexican, food is common in the area. While there are several Taco Bell restaurants, there are several restaurants serving actual Mexican food. There are two of these restaurants in downtown Dalton, Tijuana's Mexican Restaurant, located a few stores north of The Sweet Spot, and Buckin' Burrito, also a few blocks north of Tijuana's. If you want to go where the locals go for fried chicken, Zaxby's is the place to go. And we recently got a Krispy-Kreme, which serves their awesome hot n' fresh original sugar glazed doughnuts, along with a variety of other doughnuts. Worth noting is that whenever that neon light out front lights up saying 'hot fresh doughnuts now', get there ASAP, as that sign is like moths to a flame.
Now other local attractions:
If you're tired of taking photos of trains, there are several other things to do. Miracle's Cosmic Bowling and Pizzeria is located north on Cleveland Highway.
Heritage Point Park is located off of Us Highway 41, east of Cleveland Highway. Here there is a playground and several walking paths.
Off of Shugart Road, which can be accessed by Highway 41, is another park that also has a playground and a walking trail.
If you want to go mini-golfing, there is Dalton Falls Fun Center, located on Airport Road, near Walnut Square Mall.
The Creative Arts Guild is located on Waugh Street, west of downtown Dalton.
That's it from me; now let's see if anyone else posts anything on here.
This thread is intended to provide visiting railfans where to watch trains, where to eat, and other things. I'll start it off:
Dalton is the only place between Atlanta and Chattanooga where Norfolk Southern and CSX pass thru the same city. If you are to visit, there's always places to go for you and your family when not watching trains. This post is about viewing trains in downtown Dalton, not for other places in Dalton.
Places to watch trains:
The obvious place to watch trains is the old Southern freight depot, now the Dalton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, next to the Norfolk Southern and CSX mainline. There is also an old Southern passenger car, Crescent City, one of four built for Southern's flagship train, the Crescent Limited. The problem with the restoration is that the only way to donate money to restore it is via a small box located next to the car. There's no website dedicated to it, nor is there a section on Dalton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau's website where you can donate money for the restoration. Anyway, back to railfanning.
The freight depot is located on East Morris Street, and provides a good view of the many trains passing thru town. The old freight platform is now a viewing platform, with chairs and a scanner, so you can know when a train is approaching. There is also a TV connected to a computer that's equipped with a system called ATCS system, which provides a schematic of the CSX and Norfolk Southern mainline between Atlanta and Chattanooga, allowing you to see where trains are and what the status of the signals are. It's similar to what a dispatcher would see on his computer screen. Also, the depot faces east, so your best pictures will be best in the morning to early afternoon. The depot is closed on weekends, so if you visit on the weekends, you'll have to go somewhere else to use the bathroom. It's located just south of the crossing of Norfolk Southern and CSX's mainline between Atlanta and Chattanooga. Across the tracks from the freight depot is the south end of CSX's yard, which is served by a train based out of Chattanooga. This train routinely features a caboose, usually on the south end of the train, so the caboose leads the train on its trip from Chattanooga.
On the south side of East Morris Street is passing sidings for both Norfolk Southern and CSX. However, you'll occasionally find a train parked there waiting to head north to Chattanooga. It's normally a CSX train, but sometimes you'll find a Norfolk Southern train sitting on Norfolk Southern's passing siding. However, they tend to be parked further south than CSX. That's because of the numerous railroad crossings in downtown Dalton, so NS trains wait further south to not block the railroad crossings.
North of the freight depot, is two bridges over the tracks: the two-lane Gordon Street bridge, and the four-lane Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard bridge. Both bridges do not have room to park your car and take pictures of trains. There is also a sign on the MLK Jr. Blvd bridge that prohibits pedestrians and bicyclists from using the bridge, as there isn't a lot of room on the bridge for them.
However, there are also a few more places to watch trains. One of which is a large parking deck located next to the freight depot, which allows not only for ground-level photos, but overhead photos of trains going by. This provides pictures of both northbound and southbound trains. However, for southbound trains, you'll have to head to the third level and above for pictures of southbound trains, as the bridge sits next to the Gordon Street bridge. There is also another parking deck, a few blocks north of the freight depot. This also provides overhead and ground-level photos. However, its best to take photos of northbound trains on ground level, as vegetation prevents you from taking pictures of southbound trains. Then there's also Depot Street, which the Dalton Depot Restaurant and Trackside Café is located on, and provides photos for trains heading south, as any northbound trains are blocked by the depot.
Now onto where to eat:
There are several places to eat downtown. The two most prominent is the Dalton Depot Restaurant and Trackside Café, and the Oakwood Café. The Oakwood Café is located a few blocks west of the tracks, at the corner of West Cuyler Street and South Pentz Street. There are also several other places to eat. The Sweet Spot, a frozen yogurt shop, provides outdoor seating and is located at the intersection of South Hamilton Street and Morris Street. The only place in downtown Dalton that provides a buffet is The Filling Station, a '50s gas station themed restaurant located north on North Hamilton Street, next to the CSX mainline. The Cremo Drive-In is located across the tracks from the freight depot, and it's not uncommon for railroad employees to come in and get something to eat. Because of the numerous textile mills in the surrounding area, there is a large Latino population, so restaurants serving Latin-American, often called Mexican, food is common in the area. While there are several Taco Bell restaurants, there are several restaurants serving actual Mexican food. There are two of these restaurants in downtown Dalton, Tijuana's Mexican Restaurant, located a few stores north of The Sweet Spot, and Buckin' Burrito, also a few blocks north of Tijuana's. If you want to go where the locals go for fried chicken, Zaxby's is the place to go. And we recently got a Krispy-Kreme, which serves their awesome hot n' fresh original sugar glazed doughnuts, along with a variety of other doughnuts. Worth noting is that whenever that neon light out front lights up saying 'hot fresh doughnuts now', get there ASAP, as that sign is like moths to a flame.
Now other local attractions:
If you're tired of taking photos of trains, there are several other things to do. Miracle's Cosmic Bowling and Pizzeria is located north on Cleveland Highway.
Heritage Point Park is located off of Us Highway 41, east of Cleveland Highway. Here there is a playground and several walking paths.
Off of Shugart Road, which can be accessed by Highway 41, is another park that also has a playground and a walking trail.
If you want to go mini-golfing, there is Dalton Falls Fun Center, located on Airport Road, near Walnut Square Mall.
The Creative Arts Guild is located on Waugh Street, west of downtown Dalton.
That's it from me; now let's see if anyone else posts anything on here.