Well I will give a small run down on the trip that I took to southern AL on the 17-19 Nov. 2006. I left the house and went to Columbus, GA where I made my way via back roads, such as county and state roads to Hilton, GA where I piocked up the CIRR. I followed the line south to Saffold Ga where I obtained permission to take pictures of the locomotives on the property. I got the shots I wanted and left. The next stop was to Dothan, AL. I arived there and found the old SOU yard, now owned by the G&O. Did not see any power stting around to take pics of so I rode around town untill I finaly found a Wal-Mart. I stopped in there to get the ever most valuable tool a railfan can have at the fingertips, the Delorme. After that I checked into a hotel nad got some food and bedded down for the night. The next day, Saturday. I started off with the G&O. I went on towards Andalusia, stooped off in Samson where I got a few pics of a former ATSF GP-20. Proceeded on into Andalusia where I found various locos sitting around. I noticed a small museum there as well. I thought that I would stop in there after getting my pics. Well it had already closed. Crap. oh well that just means I have another reason to go back later on and get more pics. Well I then made my way back to Dothan only to head north to shoot the only Bay Line GP-9 that is left in Abbyville. I found it but it was too late in the day to get good shots. I then headed south to Panama City to shoot the rest of the Bay Line power. Well I got a night shot or two (keepers) before I was politely informed by the county S.O. that the road I was standing on was private property and that I needed to leave. They where kind enough to tell me that they would start operating about noon or later in the day on Sunday and where to go get my pics. Well I left and went to the hotel room. Sunday morning provided no kind of light this time of yr to get any more pics there, so gruding I left town as I had to be home that night. I made my way back to where the CSX and Bay Line cross. Was able to catch 2 trains there. Continued back north to shoot the GP-9 this time in good light. I get there and the only clouds in the sky where covering the sun. Had to wait about 10mins before I was able to get my shots. Then I proceded north to shot the EARY. Kind of last minute decsion. But it paid off. I was able to catch the train a few miles north of Sylacaugia heading. It was heading south to interchange with the NS. On the point was the locos that they have from the New England Central. WOW, that was just about the highlight of the trip. Got a few shots of them running south before I ran out of light. Then headed home. I am still uploading pics and will provide links when they are uploaded.
Interesting story. I am familiar with the closed museum routine. That can be very frustrating - I imagine it is equally frustrating for the people who run the place.
Well I did not intend on stopping in untill I was ready to go and leave town. Then and only then did I realize that it was too late. In doing my research, I either did not see any info on it or I just simply overlooked it. Oh well. I will return there one day. Hopefully next year.
Hello, I live in Kinston and I would imagine that if you went from Samson to Andalusia you did so via SR52 to Opp then SR84, via the bypass, to Andalusia so you probably went through Kinston (if you blinked you may have missed the town). The ATSF GP20 (#3069) belongs to Pioneer RailCorp, they purchased the Alabama and Florida RR at least twelve years ago. The A&F runs from Andalusia to just east of Samson as the remaining track to Geneva is not useable. From Andalusia to Georgiana the rail belongs to G&O, purchased from Pioneer approximately 4 years ago. The next time you head this way give me a call, 334-504-2215 cell, and I will do some checking on the museum in Andalusia and Enterprise. If you want some G&O shots you should have some luck with the Wiregrass Central, subsidiary of G&O, that runs from Enterprise to Waterford and connects to CSX.
Pete Claussen's Gulf & Ohio no longer has any presence in Dothan. Both rail lines, the ex CofG from Hilton to Dothan and the H&S beyond, which was once also CofG, were sold to Genessee & Wyoming, which already owned the Bay Line and the Chattahoochee Industrial. The first Bay Line locomotive was painted in orange, yellow and black last month. The H&S was merged into the Chattahoochee & Gulf so has ceased to exist entirely.
It would be nice if some people where to make a history site of the past 50 yrs of all the changes that have happened in the south. There have been so many routes changed or abandoned, or sold then resold, etc. it is hard o keep up with every thing that has happened and keep up on current owners and rails being used. I know that in GA alone there have been many, many changes in the past 50 yrs. I did not know as much before I went on this trip as I do now and I am still confused on some of it.
