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Central of Georgia Railroad"A Progressive Railroad Serving the Southeast" |
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Thumbing through the annals of history, one quickly realizes the important role that the Central of Georgia Railway played in the development of Georgia and the South. The routes chosen by the company's original planners were well conceived and the transportation services offered have contributed significantly to the area's economic development. Although small when compared to many of the nation's larger rail systems, the Central's strategic routes to Florida and to Savannah on the Atlantic and its connections to the midwest heartlands made up for any size inequities. Equally important, the company was always at the forefront of innovation. For instance, automatic block signal installation began as early as 1889 and the benefits of dieselization were early realized. Additionally, the progressive Central offered two modern "in house" streamliners, the Nancy Hanks II and the Man O' War as well as an impressive fleet of midwest Florida trains. It was my pleasure to be in the service of this company for some fifty-three years.
William Dillard, last president of Central of Georgia
Chartered as early as 1833, the corporate parents of what would become the Central of Georgia Railway were organized to join with the Macon & Western Railroad to create a rail link from Chattanooga, Tennessee, through northern and middle Georgia, to various seaports on the Atlantic Ocean. Over the next decades, the Central would acquire over 25 other regional pikes in order to create a robust rail network stretching from Chattanooga to Savannah and from Montgomery through Columbus to Atlanta. The Central would be controlled by the Illinois Central Railroad and the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway before finally being acquired by the Southern Railway in 1963. The Southern changed its name to the Central of Georgia Railroad when it merged the regional system with the smaller Savannah & Atlanta and shortline Wrightsville & Tennille. Before becoming a Southern subsidiary, the Central boasted over 1700 miles of road and 2600 miles of total trackage. Today the Central of Georgia exists only as a paper railroad within the Norfolk Southern Railway group. 42 miles of the Central's former mainline are currently leased by the Chattooga & Chickamauga Railway from the State of Georgia, and the CaterParrott Railnet operates several former Central branchlines.
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Official Guide map 1965 / collection
Collections
Publications
1909 CG system map / collection
1918 timetable / web
1952 timetable / collection
1958 timetable / collection
1958 passenger ad / collection
1958 freight ad / collection
The Central Rail Road and Canal Company was organized in 1833 by a group of Savannah businessmen who were concerned that Charleston's new railroad to Augusta would bring a loss of shipping business for their port. Construction of their new line began in late 1835. Meanwhile the company decided to go into the banking business to attract capital investment in the railroad. To better reflect its new interests it changed its name to Central Rail Road and Banking Company of Georgia.
Links / Sources
- Wikipedia article for Central of Georgia
- Georgia Railroad History and Heritage
- Central of Georgia Railway Historical Society
- W. Forrest Beckum Jr & Albert Langley Jr, Central of Georgia Railway Album (Union Station Publishing: 1986)