Poem for a Friend

I didn't mean to be so bad.
Didn't set out to hurt anyone.
And I can't explain what happened
And I can't explain, how, or why.
But it happened to be you.

Seaboard Air Line

History:
The origins of this line date back to the early 1880's when a series of consolidations resulted in the creation of the Florida Railway and Navigation Company. By 1885 the FRNC was already in receivership, but continued to lay down tracks despite being broke. They laid down tracks from Jacksonville to Plant city during this time. Then in 1888 the line was purchased and the Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad was created. It was under this entity that the 138 mile extension from Savannah to Jacksonville was completed in 1894 which created a 274 miles of track from Columbia, SC to Jacksonville, FL. The extension's close proximity to the coast, caused it to cross over many marshes, rivers, creeks, estuaries and swamps of all sizes, forcing a trestle of some sort at almost every mile. The cost to build and maintain so many trestles varying in size from a few feet to a few miles in length, had to be a financial drain on the company. In 1899 the FCP was purchased by the Williams and Middendorf group of Richmond, Va and they absorbed it into their Seaboard Air Line Railway by 1903. A total acquisition of 1017 rail miles increasing the overall mileage of the Seaboard company's rail mileage to 2600 miles, with coverage from Virginia to Florida, and a key part being the section from Savannah to Jacksonville. In 1946 the SAL RW reorganized to become the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, with it's slogan being, "Through the Heart of the South." Between 1900 and 1946 the SAL Railway acquired many other lines and at one point had 4146 miles in total track length. During it's hay day, the SAL, with it's headquarters in Richmond, VA employed around 18,000 people, transported 43 million tuns of freight, had 1,465,186 passengers, had 399 diesel engines, 213 steam engines,  24,000 freight cars, and 490 passenger cars.


Communities:
Lecount
Jones
Brickstone (Brickton) Extinct, only scattered bricks remain
Around 1906 this was a busy brick making operation. Perhaps many of the brick homes in the area are made from the very bricks made here. After WWI the brick making operation went out of business and today the only evidence left are the bricks scattered and pressed into the dirt road and a random brick in the railbed every few feet as you draw near it's location.

Darien Junction (Warsaw) Extinct, 1 remaining building
Became known as Warsaw around 1920 about the time it became one of the biggest sawmill centers in Southeast Georgia. Also became a major railroad stop as well and the GC&P crossed the SAL here. The town boasted several stores, a hotel and homes for the mill workers. Warsaw reached it's peak in the 1930's. When the lumber mill closed Warsaw closed down too. By 1950 there was hardly anything left. Today, as far as I know, the only remaing evidence of the town is a small brick building visible from Warsaw Rd. The structure is the old vault from the Lumber company office. Other than that, you'd never know that there was ever any activity here. The land is now part of a pine farm.


94 (Huxford) Extinct, no known relicts
If Warsaw beckons the imagination with it's mysterious old vault, Huxford is even more obscure. Huxford was said to have had one of the largest turpentining stills in southeast Georgia at the time. Today you may see a silo near it's location. This is from the Georgia Land and Cattle Company. They tried to introduce Texas longhorn steer to the area without success. For a few decades there where cattle roaming about McIntosh county. Soon fencing laws where posted and shortly after the cows where made into hamburger without any new stock being brought in.


Townsend (96)
Became busy in 1900 with the growing pine industry. Had several stores and businesses, a sawmill, church and busy train depot. The mills and stores are gone, as well as the train depot. The church which was build in 1910 sits overgrown and empty with a forsale sign. The electric box for the rail line sits in a grassy field where the tracks used to be. Most of the town has moved eastward and closer to Eulonia.

Cox Station (Cox)
Today a small town with hunt clubs that own the land which the SAL runs through. To get to the old Altamaha and swamp trestles you must first do some hiking through the woods to get to the Altamaha WMA river lands. Don't let the locals fool you, that's not their land on the river. However, it's best not to annoy the local hunters, since they have guns and friends near by. So be polite and cautious during hunting season, which round here is pretty much all year.


~Altamaha River~

Everett
small community. Altamaha Park has the bridge across the river turned so you can't venture across the river. Spoil sports. You can ride the old railbed into the town which is mostly trailers with goat farms in their back yards. The plumcreak WMA is located here and you can ATV as much as you like.
Thalmann
Once was a busy intersection of the SAL and B&B. It had a busy depot and general store both located adjacent to the track intersection. Passengers could make connections and ride an electric train shuttle to Brunswick.
Bladen
Glencoe
Waverly
White Oak
Woodbine

Source: McIntosh County History (LaVerne A. Gardner)

Satellite imagery

The night I descovered Google Earth. things will never be the same........

Picture

Sydney Lanier Bridge, as seen from SSI pier, sunset, January 2007

Georgia WMA

Much of Georgia is dedicated to comercial pine growth. These areas are often used as public hunting and ATV areas. So, to my good fortune, most of my abandoned rail beds pass through WMA which may also be ATV friendly. Ride on!
Here's a list of WMA's that my various abandoned tracks pass through.

Brunswick & Birmingham:
Moving East to West
Paulk's Pasture, Rayonier & Little Satilla.
There are some gaps between these places due to town development and reaquisition of the ROW by neighboring homes and hunt clubs. Still you can ride a good distance on the ROW in some spots. One day I will get a pick up truck and fix the old trestles. Then people can bike, hike or ATV an even greater distance on this scenic ROW.

Seaboard Air Line:
From North to South
Richmond Hill WMA, Altamaha Corridor Lands, Sansvilla WMA & Paulk's Pasture WMA
The most extensive abandoned ROW after the Central of Gerogia. This ROW runs from Richmond Hill to the Satilla river. One could travel the entire length of the SAL accept for the gates places every few miles along it's route.

Brunswick and Birmingham

Names:

Brunswick and Birmingham 1900-1904

Atlantic and Birmingham 1904-1905
Atlanta Birmingham and Atlantic 1906-1926
Atlanta Birmingham and Coast 1926-1946
Atlantic Coast Line 1946-1967
Brunswick to Sessoms section was abandoned in 1956.

Existance:
1900-1956

History:
Built in 1900 the Brunswick and Birmingham was a late comer in the rail game. Most lines had already been put down in the area and the grades left over where undesirable marshland. The subject of many consolidations and acquisitions, the B&B line changed hands many times during it's brief life. In the end the cost of upkeep for the many swampy crossing proved to be to financially draining and the line running from Alma to Brunswick was abandoned, reluctantly in 1956.

Mile marker standing near the terminus in Brunswick. 

Originally set down as a line from Brunswick to Offerman (42 miles), in 1902 they purchase the Offerman and Western Railroad which ran from Offerman to Nichols, and then in 1903 bought the Ocilla and Irwinville Railroad, also completing an extension to the Alapaha River and Crystal Lake. In 1904 the B&B went into receivership and was purchsed by the Atlantic and Birmingham Railroad. It had a 340 miles of tracks from Brunswick to Montezuma, Waycross to Nicholls, Fitzegerald to Thomasville, and Bushnell to Crystal Lake. The following year it was reorganized to become the Atlantic Birmingham and Atlantic Railroad, which extended the line west to Birmingham and North to Atlanta. The 1905 purchase extended the line from Montezuma to Birmingham. The main line from Brunswick to Birmingham being 287 miles. In 1915 due to financial problems they reorganized to become the Atlantic Birmingham and Atlantic Railway, but went into foreclosure in 1922. The Ocilla to Alapaha branch was also cut from the line in 1917. Then in 1926 reorganized again to become the Atlantic Birmingham and Coast Railroad, which is what most locals know it for today. the ABC was controlled by the Atlantic Coast Line which had acquired most of it's stocks. In 1946 the ACL purchased the rest of the ABC stocks and absorbed it into it's own operations as the ACL western division.(railga.com)

1918 time table showing stops from ATL-BWK

Features:
Begins at the port of Brunswick running through the center of town across Buffalo Marsh and westward to Douglas. US Hwy 32 follows the railbed very closely accept between Hortense and Bristol. Old Rail bed now lies beneith a Georgia Powerline corridor.

Accessability:
Some parts of the bed are still accessable and can be ridden on with a dirt bike or ATV. Some old trestles are still in place near Offerman. Many are gone with only the tiers in place. Little Satilla river trestle is gone as well as Anguilla and Buffalo Marsh. Efforts are being made by a local hunting club to rebuild the Buffalo Marsh trestles.

Remnants and Artifacts:
One can see a few of the old mile markers still in place. One is apply resting on a fence to an old cemetery in the hisorical distric of Brunswick. One stands alone near what was once Blunts another is lying on the ground near long forgotten Leicht and another stands off hwy 32 in what looks like an empty field between the town of Needmore and Fendig. There are in place 2 small trestles that cross small creeks just east of Offerman. Old trestle remains are still in place at all the water crossings along the line. The abandoned town of Aspinwall lies hidden and rotting in the neighboring pine farm. Old ties are still in place near Anquilla and spikes can be found near the Buffalo creek trestle. Some times old glass insulators and bits of metal and cool are scattered along the ROW. If you look really carefully as you pass the old part of Mershon you may see the hidden houses in the over growth. Gladiolas that where planted by long ago inhabitants still bloom outside their front doors.

Communities:

The line originated from Brunswick moving westward to Birmingham. Along the way small towns sprang up and relied apon it's presence. Some of these towns no longer exist.

Brunswick, Southern Jnct & Brobston

All the tracks have been taken up, accept those being used by the port and factories on the southend. There is a mile marker that rests on the fence to Aokgrove Cemetery. It's miles have been painted and repainted, evidence of the many hands it's ownership passed through. The side facing the cemetery has a number 3 engraved in it. Most likely because it is about 3 miles away from where the line originated in old down town Brunswick. Further west, about 18 miles another marker is engraved with the number 18.

The Oglethorpe Hotel
The Oglethorpe Hotel, Brunswick opened it's doors in 1888 and was the largest hotel in the area. Before the Cloister and unlike the private Jekyll Island Club, anyone was welcome. It loomed large and impressive with it's all brick facade. Nestled in Brunswick industrial S. East quarter. The hotel and the Brunswick and Birmingham line worked together to attract guest. The train built it's depot next to the hotel. And often commuters wishing to go to Jekyll or St. Simons would have to stay the night and take the steamer Hessie the next day. It was elustrious for it's time and much larger than the Jekyll Island club. Unfortunately it did not survive as well as the Cloister, Jekyll Island Club or the King and Prince. In 1956 the last remaining line from Alma to Brunswick where pulled up and the Rail depot and yard for the ACL (former B&B) was taken awayIn 1959 the Oglethorpe Hotel came down. It's various pieces put up for sale or simply thrown away. All that remains of the Oglethorpe Hotel and the ACL yards are emty lots. One of which is now Mary Ross Park.

Buffalo

This community was mostly like absorbed into neighboring Sterling. There is however a collapsed building that was filled with shoe molds next to the old ROW where Buffalo once was.

Anguilla

Today Anguilla is a small community of homes that lie off of Anguilla Rd.

Leicht

This is now pine growth land. There is a marker here stating how many miles are left until Brunswick or Atlanta.

Blunts

Also pine land and a WMA, there's a mileage marker still standing, although very beat up, next to the railbed.

Thalmann

Thalmann today is a small community with no stores or train depot. Both train lines that fed this town have been removed. It was once an important stop for passenger wishing to make connection either from Brunswick or too Brunswick.

Lott/Popwellville

Another small poor community. Popwell has a gas station that doesn't seem to care for strangers.

Browntown

Fendig

Today is a Royonier WMA checkstation.

Needmore

Between here and Fendig is another rail maker standing by the raised railbed which runs parallel to hwy 32 and is overgrown with briars.

Hortense

A small community still fed by the CSX railway as well as hwy 301

Zirkle/Giles

Nothing left of Zirkle and today it is a WMA and pine land. However, long ties still remain in the bed that are parallel to the rails. Ties are also placed this was at road crossings. Just a thought.

Offerman

A small communtiy based around the CSX tracks. CSX has a small repair shop there.

Aspinwall

The town in the woods. Topo maps indicate several structures. Today it is pine land, but if you look closely you will see the abandoned homes hidden in the trees. Perhaps when the rail bed was taken up n 1956, the towns people left and headed to Offerman, Patterson or Bristol

Bristol

Small community with a gas station.

Mershon

Has an implament dealer. The town has moved a little to be closer to the hwy 32 now that the railbed is gone. However, if you follow the old railbed and look closely, you'll see the old homes that used to be adjacent to the tracks. Some have collapsed and some are overgrown with brush and almost invisible. One clue is the gladiolas which still bloom outside their front doors.

Coffee

Just before Coffee the ROW is known as Woodchuck rd. I found out it was a provite road when the owner asked me if I need him to open the gate for me. I said I was trying to ride the old railbed and he was nice about it. I asked where I was and if Coffee was the next town. He said, "Coffee, you don't want to stop there, it's just a hole in the wall."

Lambright

A private farm

New Lacy

Rokingham

Alma

Guysie

Sessums

B&B used to make a connection here to either continue west to Douglas or south to Waycross. The line going south to was the Waycross Airline founded in 1887. The line from Alma to Sessoms continued to operate under Seaboard Coast Line and then CSX until 1986.