Georgia Southern Railway (fka Georgia Midland)

[ashley2771]

Good to hear money has been approved... it may take a while for money for track replacement, as Gov. Perdue apparently hasn't too approving of rail deals of late...

[Jeff Smith]

Howard Lumber and Bulloch Fert "branch" has been real busy last week. My wife tells me they had a "long" train Thurs nite that jammed up Zetterower xing for some time. Since she's not a railfan that's best info I'll get! Noticed a few cars at various random spots left over on the weekend.

[G&Fman]

Most of that was a good cut of centerbeams for Claude Howard. I had to inspect those things while inspecting 156's train last week. While walking the train, I was thinking to myself that the lumber business must have really picked up in Statesboro, because this was the first time I remember seeing close to a dozen centerbeams at one time going that way.

I even noticed some tied down on the "branch" right across from Colorado's this past Monday.

[Jeff Smith]

Yeah that was what I saw on wknd too. I haven't gotten all the way back in there that siding and switch-back must be pretty tight.

[Jeff Smith]

Drove through Metter Thursday late afternoon, saw a locomotive (unhitched) and a few (more than I normally see) hopper cars down there, no sign of any crew. Looks like business is picking up?

[Jeff Smith]

By happy coincidence I came through Register today (I've been bypassing it and coming through Pulaski due to a bridge outage on Cypress Lake Rd). There were a number of hopper cars there, one adjacent to the silo / granary, and one up the line a bit towards S'Boro (couldn't tell if it was on a siding or not, was on my way to pick up my daughter at pre-K). Didn't see any engines. I have not seen any cars there in quite some time, so that's quite encouraging!

One engine has been OOS for quite some time on the siding in downtown S'Boro just off Main. Looks like they've got the entire engine out.

Also was exploring Metter a bit (my wife is student teaching there), and was wondering whether any customers exist into downtown (past the usual point where you see the engines). I realize that most of the tracks are paved over, but did see some tracks still in service up to the one of the streets, and an exempt crossing or two.

[G&Fman]

The 4215 (GP30M) has been undergoing repairs in downtown Statesboro for the past few weeks. The other day I stopped by to take more pics of it and they had 2 prime movers on the ground with parts thrown everywhere. It'll be interesting if the HOG brings in substitute power from Americus to help the 1325 (GP35) (if they hadn't done so already) until the 4215 is repaired.

There are only 2 customers in Metter that get rail service: Southern States Co-op and Southeastern Aggregates. There's also Grower's Grain (I think that's the name) but they don't get much rail service at all. Southern States is just past the last crossing in town that's not paved over, and Southeastern Aggregates is right beside Hwy 46 on the mainline in front of the old stockyard just before you get into downtown Metter. The train uses the wye to get past the rock hoppers on the main when having to go downtown. I remember as a kid when the line was NS they loaded pulpwood at the same place as Southeastern Aggregates. There were also about SIX other customers in town too with railcars all over the place! This was back in the early to mid '80s. How times have changed. Glad the railroad kept access to Metter.

In other news, the plans to restore service on the old G&F main between Kirby and Vidalia have been put on hold. Don't know when (or even if) they'll get started on it again.

[Jeff Smith]

The cars in Register made me curious as to the presence of any other customers along the line from Statesboro to Metter. The line travels by Gateway industrial park (The Sack company, Wal-Mart DC, a few others), Nash and Co. Who's the customer in Register? I'm familiar with the customers in Metter (there should be a few more, but it is what it is).

I'll be back in the area on Friday, may do some recon and try to get some shots.

[G&Fman]

The only customer in Register is that grain elevator. It was called Tillman & Deal, but the name has changed, I can't remember what it's called now. They take in loads of fertilizer every once in a while and they load, if I remember correctly, wheat.

The railroad usually ties down loaded rock hoppers on the mainline close to the asphalt plant just north of Register (Jimps) so they can be spotted just as soon as the ones in the plant are unloaded.

With the Wal-Mart Dist Center, Briggs & Stratton and others at the Industrial Park, you would think the railroad would try to jump on that business. Maybe they already tried, but got the usual "we're staying with trucks". Noticed earlier in the year they put in a runaround track just south of the main industrial park crossing.

There are no customers between Register and Metter.....

[Jeff Smith]

I'll definitely recon the area, thanks for the reply! I also noticed the run-around track at Gateway.

[Jeff Smith]

Came in through Metter Thursday night; ten hoppers and the 1325 at SE Aggregates, two cars still in Register at the grain elevator. Went back down Friday lunch time, all were gone. Checked out some of the sidings on the east side of Metter north of 46; most looked very well grown over, nothing around anywhere. I was surprised I hadn't heard the cars on the run-up (I live near the Country Store on Cypress Lake, not far off the bypass), but we may have crossed paths (I was running late so went out to Metter on 16 - stupid me).

[G&Fman]

Did you notice the long spur running north away from the mainline just outside of Metter? There was a scrap/recycling yard off in the distance where the spur goes to. It started operations around '94 and they were loading gons and converted rock/coal hoppers with scrap left and right. The plant even had a GE 44 tonner to switch around with. The Ogeechee (before GMR) was going to Metter 5 days a week, mostly to only work the plant. About a year or two later for some reason the place went belly-up.....

And the factory just east of SE Aggregates.......there was only one time I saw a car (boxcar) spotted there, and that was back in the late '80s.

The 4215 looks close to completion as far as repairs are concerned. Stopped by in downtown Statesboro yesterday afternoon and noticed the replacement prime mover had been put in, along with the generator and even a replacement turbocharger. Hopefully by the end of the week she'll be running.

[Jeff Smith]

Didn't see the long spur - I'll check that out next visit to Metter, I've been wanting to wander back behind the stockyards. I was thinking about the recycling issue: Bulloch does a huge amount of recycling, and their one location behind Gateway / Wal-Mart would probably give them more than a few car loads. I would think (there I go again) Candler could generate some, too.

Glad to hear the 4215 is close to completion. My two girls (3 and 5) have been asking for weeks when "Thomas" is going to be fixed! Let's hope they don't see the 1325 and 4215 together! Thomas is kind of like Santa to them.

[ashley2771]

There is a scrap metal dealer/recycler off 301 in Statesboro named Stubbs Recycling... the are listed as a customer on the GMR website. I think Tillman and Deal is now Tillman, Brannen, And Minick...

[G&Fman]

Stubbs hardly ships by rail, which is probably why I failed to mention them, ha! They'll load a gon or two or three then it'll be months before they order any more cars in. But they are a customer, and whenever they do load cars that's needed revenue for the railroad.

The 4215 has been put back together for the most part. Noticed earlier today they still had the exhaust stack and traction motor blower grids laying out. Hopefully before the end of the day Monday she'll be running like a "brand new" GP30!