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Chattahoochee Industrial Railroad

"Better service begins in Early County Georgia"

cirr_state The Chattahoochee Industrial Railroad is a shortline operation located in southwestern Georgia. Incorporated in January 1961 by the Georgia-Pacific Corporation to service their facilities in the area, the Chattahoochee Industrial connects the communities of Cedar Springs, Hilton, and Saffold over a 15 mile route. Interchange is maintained with CSX Transportation (former Seaboard Coast Line) at Saffold. At Hilton, interchange is made with two G&W properties that make use of the former Southern Railway, Central of Georgia mainline: The Bay Line and the Hilton & Albany. Today the road primarily moves chemicals, coal, metals, pulp, and paper. In 2004 Georgia-Pacific sold this line and other railroad properties to shortline holding company Genesee & Wyoming Inc. Locomotives are serviced at a facility in Saffold.

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1988 Official Guide ad / collection

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1965 Official Guide ad / collection

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CIRR route map / web

Motive Power

Chattahoochee Industrial #3

  • builder:American Locomotive Company
  • model:RS-1
  • type:B-B light road switcher
  • built:Jun 1944, Alco #72812
  • series:353 produced 1941-60
  • engine:Alco 539 (6 cyl, 1000 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Atlanta & Saint Andrews Bay #909
    to Chattahoochee Industrial #3
    to Conrad Yelvington Distributors #275
  • builder

    Chattahoochee Industrial #38

  • builder:American Locomotive Company
  • model:RS-1
  • type:B-B light road switcher
  • built:Dec 1947, Alco #75564
  • series:353 produced 1941-60
  • engine:Alco 539 (6 cyl, 1000 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Washington Terminal #54
    to Great Southern Land & Paper #54
    to Chattahoochee Industrial #38
    to Conrad Yelvington Distributors #293
  • builder

    Chattahoochee Industrial #97

  • builder:American Locomotive Company
  • model:RS-1
  • type:B-B light road switcher
  • built:Nov 1947, Alco #75562
  • series:353 produced 1941-60
  • engine:Alco 539 (6 cyl, 1000 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Washington Terminal #52
    to Great Southern Land & Paper #52
    to Chattahoochee Industrial #97
    to Conrad Yelvington Distributors #292
  • builder

    Chattahoochee Industrial #118

  • builder:American Locomotive Company
  • model:RS-1
  • type:B-B light road switcher
  • built:Apr 1945, Alco #73333
  • series:353 produced 1941-60
  • engine:Alco 539 (6 cyl, 1000 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Atlanta & Saint Andrews Bay #911
    to Chattahoochee Industrial #118
    to Conrad Yelvington Distributors #294
  • builder

    Chattahoochee Industrial #382

  • builder:American Locomotive Company
  • model:RS-1
  • type:B-B light road switcher
  • built:________________
  • series:353 produced 1941-60
  • engine:Alco 539 (6 cyl, 1000 hp)
  • notes:
  • ________________
  • builder

    Chattahoochee Industrial #1111

  • builder:American Locomotive Company
  • model:RS-1
  • type:B-B light road switcher
  • built:Jan 1946, Alco #74910
  • series:353 produced 1941-60
  • engine:Alco 539 (6 cyl, 1000 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Gulf Mobile & Ohio #1111
    to Illinois Central Gulf #1275
    to Louisiana Midland #1111
    to Chattahoochee Industrial #1111
    to Conrad Yelvington Distributors #262
  • builder

    Chattahoochee Industrial #1500

  • builder:Electro Motive Division
  • model:SW1500
  • type:B-B yard switcher
  • built:May 1973, EMD #72649-1
  • series:807 produced 1966-74
  • engine:EMD 645 (12 cyl, 1500 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Pittsburgh & Lake Erie #1534
    to Chicago Missouri & Western #1500
    to Gateway Western #1500
    to Chattahoochee Industrial #1500
  • builder

    Chattahoochee Industrial #1505

  • builder:Electro Motive Division
  • model:SW1500
  • type:B-B yard switcher
  • built:May 1973, EMD #72649-2
  • series:807 produced 1966-74
  • engine:EMD 645 (12 cyl, 1500 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Pittsburgh & Lake Erie #1542
    to Chicago Missouri & Western #1505
    to Gateway Western #1505
    to Chattahoochee Industrial #1505
    to Wiregrass Central #1505
  • builder
    tag_jump

    See also our Wiregrass Central shortline scrapbook for more #1505 pictures

    Rolling Stock

    tag_pinLocations

    tag_pin

    Click to see the Chattahoochee Industrial shop area plotted on a Google Maps page

    tag_pin

    Click to see this location plotted on a Google Maps page

    tag_scrapScrapbook

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    cirr_scrapbook2
    cirr_scrapbook3
    cirr_scrapbook4
    cirr_scrapbook3
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    cirr_scrapbook3
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    all pages from Chattahoochee Industrial scrapbook / 1991 / JCH

    tag_lagnLagniappe

    cirr_guide72

    1972 Official Guide ad / collection

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    I tend to think about the Chattahoochee Industrial I knew in the late 1980s and 90s as one of those shortlines that held on to a great deal of local character, before the great wave of national shortline holding companies that have tended to homogenize fleets, paint schemes, and operations. Any Deep South railfan from the late 1960s on could recognize their blue and red homage to the Confederate flag pasted on the side of their white and black locomotives. Unfortunately, I made it to Cedar Springs too late to see the Alco road switcher fleet plying the line, but at least a 1990 visit found most of them still in a dead line and open for viewing. And their pair of stout SW1500s, coupled elephant style and ready for business, is surely one of the reasons I like that EMD model to this day. The CIRR I knew has disappeared into a sea of orange and black, but that line of Alco RS-1's will not soon be forgotten.

    Links / Sources

    This page was updated on 2019-05-11