Georgia Southern Railway (fka Georgia Midland)

G&Fman wrote:Yup on the Reeves. Years ago I thought they ran around the cars at Register until I first caught them switching at Reeves.

We just delivered 4 empty gons for Metter and 3 centerbeams for Claude Howard at Dover late last night.

Thanks G&F. So you don't think Reeves has a high rail superduty to move the cars to unload them? Gravity is enough? I was wondering because if that siding is pretty full, and the unloading is going on at the short end of the siding, they'd foul the switch, wouldn't they? I'm just trying to picture it.

4 gons for Metter? I'll have to keep my ears pealed! That will be the longest load in recent memory going to Metter. I'll have to try to get some video at Register and Pulaski.

Drove down to Metter the other day; yes, the rails still go into the woods past the paved over portion on the back road. Too dense to walk back too far though.

I didn't see these posts today before setting out sadly, but I did head downtown in Statesboro around 3pm and caught 2024 at Howard's. It hooked up to the 4 gondolas and 1 freight car with railroad ties on it and headed out to Gateway area. I met up with Jeff and we watched it cross Gateway, then went to Register to see it come thru (after he informed me about the post that said it was heading to Metter today - my lucky day to finally catch it going there). However, it was missing the last car when it got to Register!

After watching it at Register and Pulaski, Jeff headed back to town and I followed 2024 to Metter where it dropped off the 4 gondolas at Allied. On the way back I noticed they dropped off the last car in that consist on the edge of that bridge right past Reeves. Jeff noticed a high rail truck crossing earlier at Gateway and I also saw it in Metter where it was waiting on 2024 at the farm supply store there by the siding. I didn't stick around to watch 2024 come back through and pick up that freight car but I did see it on that bridge and was pretty intrigued. My video cut out due to no space at Gateway so hopefully Jeff can get his posted on the YouTube account I'm working on.

Needless to say - quite pleased with being able to see it go to Metter for once, even though the wye wasn't used today. Now to see what happens with that track work...?

GAF siding looking more and more complete by the day.

Jeff Smith wrote:
Thanks G&F. So you don't think Reeves has a high rail superduty to move the cars to unload them? Gravity is enough? I was wondering because if that siding is pretty full, and the unloading is going on at the short end of the siding, they'd foul the switch, wouldn't they? I'm just trying to picture it.

Oh, I'm sorry, I misread mterrell's post thinking he was asking about how the train crew spots/pulls Reeves. Gotta quit speed reading! If I'm not mistaken they use one of their front end loaders with a cable to move the cars. The pit where they dump the rock out from the cars is located about halfway down the siding. They can only put so many cars in there (I don't know the max amount) so that they can unload all of them without going past the stub end of the siding or hitting the derail close to the switch.

We delivered 4 Tillman & Deal rock hoppers of limestone at Dover late last night.

Busy little railroad we got here! Another four cars for the center of town Tillman & Deal, and we'll see how long the gons stay in Metter and the hoppers at Reeves.

I'll have to investigate that bridge in Register at some point, and take a better look at GAF. Never even knew it was there until they cleared that land along 301 just north of 46.

I thought that's how they would have to do it at Reeves; just wondering if they had special equipment for it.

It was also unusual seeing the high-rail truck actually on the rails and go all the way to Metter that way. Pre-inspection? Personal preference? Usually when the pickup comes down, they are usually going to park the engine where last used to drop to wait for the return trip. Seeing as it was already late when arriving in Metter (5pm) and I didn't hear it come back, I assume that's what happened.

Whether they come back up light or loaded on Thursday to come back with the Tillman and Deal load will be interesting to see.

G&F, do you think GASR will continue to run it, or will it go back to GMR or Ogee?

It should have been busy as well yesterday! Late Thursday night we delivered some more rock for Reeves, three (I think) centerbeams for Claude Howard, and........drum roll......three more gons for Metter.

They must have been doing an inspection of the track when using that high-railer. I'm just assuming that since they've been making more trips to Metter than usual recently and the crew/engineer probably noticed a couple of spots on the Metter side that needed looking at. I just need to catch the crew in town and get updated!!

No, the railroad will not go back to the HOG (GMR is basically no more) and definitely not the OGEE as far as I know. I think Pioneer has plans on keeping the line as well as their 2 lines at Fort Valley at least for the forseeable future. And from what I've seen, the GASR has been doing a good job serving their customers, at least on the Dover line. However, the old G&F line at Midville I think will go back to the HOG in about a year. That's when the GASR's "lease" with the HOG (HOG leasing that line from the state and letting the GASR do the switching) will be up and from what I heard in the past the GASR will probably not renew the lease. It'll be interesting to see what the near future holds for the old G&F line as far as an operator is concerned.

That's awesome that Metter is getting more business. The line is doing pretty good right now.

Edit: Has anyone heard anything about a new engine? I thought 2024 was at Tillman & Deal this weekend but on second glance it isn't 2024 - it's 701. I've never seen this engine before. Interestingly enough it has the same paint scheme as 2024.

Wow, now that's a surprise! I wonder when they got the 701? Good catch. I just saw the 2024 this past Monday in Dover while chasing our high/wide special out of Savannah. In that case, I'm also wondering if they shipped out the 2024 or are they going to be used together.

Things getting a little interesting on this line........

With GAF coming on line, business picking up in Metter, and so on, who knows? Of course, it's possible 2024 is just getting shopped. Hey, maybe they'll fire up 1325 LOL!

Just got back from exploring....my curiosity got the best of me so I went out to Dover to check on things. Sorry in advance for a long post but here's some info:

2024 is at Dover. Right after my roommate and I arrived, a northbound NS train flew through. The 4 gondolas I chased to Metter last week are now ready to be picked up with 3 centerbeams from Howard's as well as the 4 hoppers from Tillman & Deal. Sadly I wasn't fast enough to catch them at Tillman Friday. If you go look at the Tillman siding you can see they pushed the cars ALL the way to the end of the siding (*well* into that dirt hill at the end - interesting). On the other siding at Dover, 16~ are ready to go fully loaded for Reeves as well as 3 empty ones for Howard's, so that is what is coming tomorrow and I guess they will pick up the 3 from Allied Metal in Metter that G&Fman mentioned that they dropped off Friday.

We've been told by some of the Dover residents of previous destructive acts that have taken place out there to train cars and such. Pickup trucks pulling up and loading up scrap metal, people looting boxcars (I guess years and years ago...?) and such. So needless to say when you park and get out to take pictures residents will stop their cars and stare you down like they did today, or even approach and question you. A year or so ago I met a nice guy there that told me some history of the railroad and said he even used to ride in the cabooses into town every now and then. Anyway, G&Fman do you happen to know times for when they drop off or unload cars in Dover? I'd like to get out there and check it out sometime.

In regards to timing, my roommate (who's knowledgeable about the line as well) saw 2024 downtown on Friday doing work. I'm not sure when 701 arrived but if you read back a few posts you'll see I heard another set of train horns when I was at Reeves a week ago....not sure if it was 701 or not but it's possible...

And lastly on the way back from Dover I stopped by that old mill and saw that they are doing a lot of clearing out there. The mill looks pretty desolate (only 1 work truck in there every other time I go by) but they cleared the dense brush completely off of the siding that goes in there. There used to be solid trees, etc on these tracks and now the track is pretty clean. Not saying anything is going on here since the mill is awful condition and the gate still has stuff on the other side of it blocking the tracks but it's definitely interesting.

Hooray for another engine. Now to see what it's going to do....

And 701 apparently moved today. Not sure where to though. Meanwhile, they still continue to lay ties down on the side of the track everywhere....

701 has appeared again...now parked at Howard's. Howard looking good - five cars there now, the most I've seen in a while (usually 2-3).

Ran into an employee today in a gas station in the high rail truck and he said 701 was here "to help move stuff around town". Not sure what that exactly means but maybe we'll see it doing some work. Saw 2024 delivering 15 gondolas to Reeves today.

mterrell wrote: Anyway, G&Fman do you happen to know times for when they drop off or unload cars in Dover? I'd like to get out there and check it out sometime.

Our G25 local out of Savannah delivers and picks up at Dover in the middle of the night during the week. They depart Savannah around 1130pm and I usually can see them leave (I work night shift).

Done some digging on the 701's heritage. She's a former Chicago & Northwestern GP7......interesting.

Just got back into town from New Smyrna Beach; unfortunately, not able to catch any FEC action....

Did see the 701 at Howard's looking down the secondary track behind El Sombrero (Old Sombrero). Of course at that distance I couldn't tell it was the 701, but I believe my chasing buddy......

Extra crew, GAF coming on line, the Boro is picking up!

Probably was the 701, it was parked next to the cement plant yesterday...

Jeff Smith wrote:Just got back into town from New Smyrna Beach; unfortunately, not able to catch any FEC action....

Did see the 701 at Howard's looking down the secondary track behind El Sombrero (Old Sombrero). Of course at that distance I couldn't tell it was the 701, but I believe my chasing buddy......

Extra crew, GAF coming on line, the Boro is picking up!

Our local dropped off 6 scrap gons for Metter night before last. Metter's picking up as well.