Abandonment from Thomasville, GA to Coolidge, GA

has anyone heard of CSX abandoning the industrial spur from Thomasville, GA to Coolidge, GA? The Georgia DOT rail map shows this as a line in the process of abandonment...

that is not surprising, there has been little or no rail activity on that line for years...

Hey Nip, is Thomasville a large or high-volume rail area? I have heard the name of Thomasville Georgia in the past, but only because that is where cars for a few customers in the Northeast come from. (Primarily GFRR cars, but also some CSXT and GNWR cars which are probably leased to these customers. (only say this because the same cars seem to come and go frequently).

Thomasville is on the mainline between Waycross and Dothan, so it sees a good bit of traffic, as well as Amtrak (at least it used to). The spur to Coolidge saw regular traffic to a fertilizer distributor and the company that makes furniture for Aaron Rents. I've seen nothing posted about this anywhere else...has there been a STB filing?

Thanks, the customers up (couple locations in Mass. and one in NJ or NYC) here that I was referring to get cat-litter.

there may be other traffic on the line I'm not aware of, but I knew of those two...if they do file to abanadon, perhaps GFRR would try to get it...

CSX Conductor wrote:Hey Nip, is Thomasville a large or high-volume rail area? I have heard the name of Thomasville Georgia in the past, but only because that is where cars for a few customers in the Northeast come from. (Primarily GFRR cars, but also some CSXT and GNWR cars which are probably leased to these customers. (only say this because the same cars seem to come and go frequently).

Thomasville is (or was) once a VITAL junction of the ACL and later SCL

It was the midpoint of the ACL's Brunswick (and waycross) to Montgomery main line. It was also the junction of the ACL Albany - Thomasville - Perry - Dunellon line which carried several trains a day including passenger trains.

In recent years this line has seen alot less traffic. Mostly montgomery to Waycross (and vice versa) traffic. About 8 trains a day, if that. No passenger traffic.

This line used to be a BIG agricultural products line. Peanuts, cotton, vegetables, etc. But all that went to trucks.

The last passenger train was (I believe) the Amtrak "Floridian" which ceased in 1979.

This line today is known as the Dothan Sub of the Jacksonville division. Is good for 40MPH. It is DTC territory controlled by the AZ dispatcher

Thanks again, out

I should also mention that the line from dunellon to perry to thomasvillle and thomasville to albandy has been abaondoned for years (late 80's) but still exists to for some way as a spur

In way of an update on current operations, the former ACL line between Thomasville and Albany, GA was sold some years ago to Mr. Pete Clausen, the owner of the (fill in the name) & Ohio systems of railroads, in this case the Gulf & Ohio. Several years ago, Mr. Clausen sold the Gulf & Ohio to USA Railnet, who began operations on several lines out of the Albany, GA area as the Georgia - Florida Railnet, with the reporting marks GFRR. These lines include the:

The above-mentioned line between Thomasville and Albany, GA;

The former South GA/NS line between Adel, GA and Perry, FL (with CSX having trackage rights between Quitman, GA and Perry, FL for shared service to a large paper mill about 4 miles SE of Perry, FL. (so the predecessor Seaboard Coast Line could abandon most of the old Perry Cutoff Line (between Perry and Metcalf, GA);

The former Georgia & Florida RR/NS line between Valdosta and Nashville, GA; and

The Albany - Sylvester, GA portion of the former ACL line between Albany and Waycross, GA.

The GA - FL Railnet's operating base and headquarters is the former ACL's Albany Yard in Albany, GA.

Noteworthy, the GA - FL has acquired four former Canadian National wide-cab GP40-2WL units, and have repainted them in a green with tangerine stripe color scheme. Nice looking! These were some of the original wide-cab, or North American comfort cab units, the forerunners of the wide cab styles of EMD and GE.

Regarding the cat litter, the only places that I am aware of that produce cat litter in the Thomasville, GA area are several processors on the former Seaboard Air Line (CSX) line between Bainbridge and Columbus, GA. These processors are located about 20 miles north of Bainbridge. This line is currently operated by the Georgia Southwestern RR. Cars from these processors would most likely have a Thomasville routing label, as Thomasville is the nearest yard point.

Keep 'em rolling!

ACLfan

Thanks for the update ACL... you always have good info...