Is the former CSX Pearson sub seeing any action under its new owner?
No, not really.
I just heard that the SMWR line only has one customer located in Pearson, GA. The RR only hauls one carload per month to them. The funny thing is they only haul it about 3-4 miles from Waresboro (West Waycross) to a siding where they transload it to truck. The truck then hauls the remaining 20-25miles to the plant in Pearson.
The rest of the line (all mainline track) is now being used as a parking lot. I don't have a number, but I was told they got cars backed up in there and they keep adding more. The problem is they don't have a way to get the cars in the back of the line out. There is no siding long enough and no wye or yard tracks anywhere on their property. They would have to haul them onto CSX trackage to make any moves and that will probably eat up any profit they made by storing them.
Also, I heard the city of Pearson is not happy with the deal they made with the owners of SMWR. The city ponyed up a lot of money to help keep the line open and in return they were promised some things that apparently haven't been done. So it's not a good scene down there.
Oh and just so we're clear, St. Mary's West RR has NO affiliation whatsoever to the original St. Mary's RR down on the coast by the Navy Base.