masthead_shortlines
Featured Shortline
southern southern_shortline

Hartwell Railroad

"The Red Carpet Line"

hrt_state The current Hartwell Railroad operates shortline freight service on three different lines in northeast Georgia:

1 - Hartwell to Bowersville, 10 miles -- Originally a 3-foot gauge line, the roller coast grade was relaid to standard gauge in 1905 after coming under the control of the Southern Railway. In the 1950's, the road leased a 4-4-0 steamer from the Central of Georgia Railroad. After Southern control, local interests operated the line as the Hartwell Railway from 1924 to 1990, with interchange made with the Southern at Bowersville. Benny Ray Anderson, owner of nearby Great Walton Railroad, purchased the company 1990 and renamed it Hartwell Railroad. Although it is the original Hartwell route, this line is currently out of service except for railcar storage.

2 - Toccoa to Elberton, 48 miles -- Originally a 3-foot gauge line, this route was the Elberton Air Line Railway, later a part of the Southern Railway. Hartwell took over operation of this segment from Norfolk Southern in 1995. Interchange is with NS at Toccoa on the north end, CSX Transportation at Elberton on the south end. The original Hartwell route, above, connects at Bowersville.

3 - Athens to Center, 9 miles -- Operated since 2001 as the Athens Line, LLC, this segment is the southernmost portion of the former Southern Railway line between Lula and Athens. Today interchange is in Athens with CSX Transportation. The lease also included former Central of Georgia trackage south of Athens to Madison, but this line is currently out of service.

All three segments are operated by the Great Walton Railroad, based in Social Circle, Georgia.

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Hartwell routes map / RWH

listen in
160.725 161.550
hrt_guide1910

1910 Official Guide ad / collection

hrt_guide1955

1955 Official Guide ad / collection

hrt_guide1968

1968 Official Guide ad / collection

hrt_guide1988

1988 Official Guide ad / collection

hrt_guide1994

1994 Official Guide ad / collection

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postcard / collection

Motive Power

Hartwell #2

  • builder:General Electric
  • model:44 ton
  • type:B-B light switcher
  • built:Feb 1950, GE #30253
  • series:334 produced 1940-56
  • engine:D17000 (2) (8 cyls each, 400 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Hartwell #2
    to Southeastern Railway Museum
  • builder

    New York, Ontario & Western #104

  • builder:General Electric
  • model:44 tonner center cab
  • type:B-B light switcher
  • built:Jan 1942, GE #15031
  • series:386 produced 1940-56
  • engine:(2) Caterpillar D17000
  • notes:
  • blt New York, Ontario & Western #104
    to Hartwell Railroad #5
    to Southeastern Railway Museum
  • builder
    tag_jump

    See also our complete Southeastern Railway Museum scrapbook in Preservation

    Hartwell #454

  • builder:Electro Motive Division
  • model:SD7
  • type:C-C road switcher
  • built:Apr 1953, EMD #17902
  • series:188 produced 1951-53
  • engine:EMD 567B (16 cyl, 1500 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Bessemer & Lake Erie #454
    1 of 8 blt for Bessemer order #5212
    to Hartwell #454, out of service
  • builder
    sd7_page

    from The Second Diesel Spotter's Guide
    / collection

    hrt454h1 hrt454h2 hrt454h3 hrt454h4 hrt454h5 hrt454h6

    Jun 2019 / RWH

    hrt454k1 hrt454k2 hrt454k3 hrt454k4 hrt454k5 hrt454k6

    Jun 2019 / RWH

    tag_jump

    See also our Bessemer & Lake Erie regional scrapbook in Mainlines

    Hartwell #654

  • builder:Electro Motive Division
  • model:SD38
  • type:C-C road switcher
  • built:Feb 1970, EMD #36145
  • series:52 produced 1967-71
  • engine:EMD 645E (16 cyl, 2000 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Elgin, Joliet & Eastern #654
    1 of 6 blt new in EJ&E order #7243
    to Foster Townsend Rail Logistics #654
    to Hartwell #654
  • builder
    sd38_page1 sd38_page2

    from The Contemporary Diesel Spotter's Guide
    / collection

    hrt654b hrt654g

    Royston, Ga / Aug 2019 / RWH

    hrt654l1 hrt654l2 hrt654l3

    Aug 2019 / RWH

    Hartwell #2036

  • builder:Electro Motive Division
  • model:GP38
  • type:B-B road switcher
  • built:Dec 1967, EMD #33726
  • series:706 produced 1966-71
  • engine:EMD 645 (16 cyl, 3000 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Chesapeake & Ohio #3895
    to CSX Transportation #2095
    to Locomotive Leasing Partners #2036
    to Rail Trusts Equipment Inc #2036
    to Hartwell #2036
  • builder
    hrt2036f1 hrt2036f2 hrt2036f3 hrt2036f4 hrt2036f5 hrt2036f6

    Aug 2019 / RWH

    hrt2036i hrt2036j hrt2036k

    Aug 2019 / RWH

    Hartwell #5130

  • builder:Electro Motive Division
  • model:GP38-2
  • type:B-B road switcher
  • built:Feb 1974, EMD #73752-23
  • series:2222 produced 1972-86
  • engine:EMD 645E (16 cyl, 2000 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Southern Railway #5130
    to Norfolk Southern #5130
    to Hartwell #5130
  • builder
    gp38-2_drawing

    from Southern Railway Motive Power 1968-1982
    / collection

    hrt5130i1 hrt5130i2 hrt5130i3 hrt5130i4 hrt5130i5 hrt5130i6 hrt5130i7 hrt5130i8 hrt5130i9

    Aug 2019 / RWH

    hrt5130j1 hrt5130j2 hrt5130j3

    Aug 2019 / RWH

    Hartwell #8396

  • builder:Electro Motive Division
  • rebuilder:Illinois Central Gulf
  • model:GP10 "Paducah Rebuild"
  • type:B-B road switcher
  • built:Feb 1957, EMD #22698
  • engine:EMD 567C (16 cyl, 1750 hp)
  • notes:
  • blt Detroit Toledo & Ironton #990
    to Illinois Central #8396
    to Knoxville & Holston River #8396
    to Georgia & Florida #8396
    to Hartwell #8396
  • builder
    hrt8396f1 hrt8396f2 hrt8396f3 hrt8396f4 hrt8396f5 hrt8396f6

    Aug 2019 / RWH

    tag_pinLocations

    Rolling Stock

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    Links / Sources

    This page was updated on 2019-12-14