Georgia Southern Railway (fka Georgia Midland)

[Jeff Smith]

Amazing. I have a contact at Imperial, and the restart has been in the news. I thought I saw some down the track when passing over the crossing on AJ Riggs but didn't feel like cutting through WMT distr ctr to see. Couldn't they just space some out near the end of the line in Metter? It's not like they're shoving anything down that way.

As for Kirby I wish they could shove them down to I-16!

[G&Fman]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the ones by the crossing at Gateway.

I had heard it was still going to be a while before Imperial gets back on full blast. We have just started spotting only a few hoppers a week over there.

Southern States, located at the end of the line in Metter, hasn't received a car in quite a while. Unless they plan on not getting anything for a long time, I can see the GMR using the mainline in town to store more of those hoppers. Don't think it will happen, but it's a possibility. Having to switch them out so they can service Southern States would be a nightmare. I'm told Imperial has continually been asking the GMR if they can still take more of their hoppers.

Now, they can store a few at the old factory siding in Metter. They could also put a few in the old grain elevator siding north of the wye, but if I remember correctly the switch and siding were taken up years ago.

Shove them down to I-16 on the old G&F? I wish they would do it too! Been going over that line there for years and seen nothing but a little bit of track and a lot of vegetation. They could probably do it. They would just need a man to ride the bottom car with a chainsaw, heh heh.

[Jeff Smith]

I've heard the GMR in the boro quite frequently, but haven't seen it in action. I live south of the bypass, so what I heard was down around Jimps and Wal-Mart. Perhaps storing more cars? Or retrieving? I'll have to check.

Went down to Metter today; still seven cars on siding in Register. Nothing in Metter. No sign of power.

Edit 8/3/09: Drove by on Saturday and this morning; quite a few cars around Newell Recycling and siding below Gateway (is that one single siding?). Perhaps two dozen? Observed from 301S, so I couldn't quite make it out through the trees.

Also spoke to my contact; he says yes, there's quite a few cars at Imperial, and they are actively shipping everything they can, although he wasn't sure at what state the sugar was in (raw, processed, etc.).

[Jeff Smith]

Drove through Gateway the other day. I think there were about 16 cars on the siding. It seemed as if the northernmost car was creeping out onto the main; not quite, but curving out a bit, not quite clear of the main on the straight portion of the siding. I'm not sure what the clearance would be.

Went all the way back behind Briggs and Viracon at Gateway to see if I could observe any more of the right of way, but couldn't, and wasn't about to drive down a few of the dirt roads back there and risk tresspassing. Is that one Gateway siding it there, or is there another by Newell?

The cars on the siding in Register were also still there. Are there any other sidings besides Gateway and Register between Jimps and Metter?

[G&Fman]

There were 2 grain elevators right there just north of Newell, and each had a siding of its own. As far as I can tell, the one without the handful of hoppers is still there, although I'm wondering why they aren't using it to store more hoppers unless the switch is gone where I can't see it. Just north of Gateway was a switch (you can still see where it was at) with a short spur that crossed the road and led to a small LP gas company. I remember during the '80s occasionally seeing a tank car spotted there, and that was when "Gateway" was a narrow dirt road, ha!

I don't know if the spur is still there at the Southern States Cotton Gin. If it is, I do know it hasn't been used in years.

I'm fairly certain there are no sidings between Register and Metter. Pulaski had one and some of the rail is still there, but both switches are gone.

[Jeff Smith]

Came through Register last night; seven tankers were gone. Haven't been out by Gateway yet. Wonder what power they used?

[G&Fman]

Tankers or hoppers???

Imperial has been ordering empties like crazy, so maybe that is where they went to. Last time I was coming by Gateway (Sunday) the hoppers were still there.

[G&Fman]

Still using the 4215....

1325 is still down and out in downtown Statesboro.

[Jeff Smith]

Sorry, I'm not that familiar with technical terms for freight equipment, so I did some research on the UP Site as pictured in the link; covered hoppers. They were gone at Gateway as well. Must have been quite a sight going through downtown, it would have been at least 20 cars long. I'm sorry I missed that.

I'm local for a while; it's sad seeing the 1325 stuck on the siding downtown. Guess it will be quiet for a while with the stored hoppers gone.

[Jeff Smith]

Good day for train stalking, er...., train chasing. Caught the 4215 dowtown around Mulberry and East Grady; it looked like it had just dropped some cars at Howard and was coming back to pick up a Gondola it had left just North of the crossing (haven't verified the drop at Howard yet). Tailed it from there past the frog on 301/67 intersection down to Gateway crossing (stopped at the Country store for a breakfast sandwich and still caught up), then on down to Register crossing, and then on in to Metter (and had time to run a fifteen-minute errand in Metter before beating the 4215 back to the crossing) to Allied Metals, I assume. Watched them begin the push back in on the long spur. Don't know if they left the 4215 down there or not. It was a single gondola they were dropping. Almost seems as if it wouldn't be worth it.

Also took a ride up 301 to Sylvania the other day (I was bored). Saw the main line in Dover, but didn't stop to explore.

[ashley2771]

I was in Statesboro on Monday afternoon, nothing moving.. I guess the must always run in the morning?

[Jeff Smith]

I have on ocassion seen it run in the late afternoon, but that's rare.

[G&Fman]

Usually they don't get into Statesboro until late morning or after lunch.

From what I heard, Allied Metals was supposed to be getting more and more cars ordered in (both empties and loads) but haven't I seen it yet.

It also seems the rock business has tapered off for them as well. About once a week or so they'll get a few loads for Jimps.

I'm surprised they haven't shipped the 1325 off to Americus........

[Jeff Smith]

This last run must have started early. I caught them downtown before 9am.

[Jeff Smith]

Looks like the GMR and the HOG are changing or have changed operators:

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/new ... s/2695287/

This transaction is related to a concurrently filed verified notice of exemption in STB Finance Docket No. 35322, Georgia Southern Railway Co.--Lease and Operation Exemption and Operation Exemption--Certain Lines of Georgia Midland Railroad, Inc. and Heart of Georgia Railroad, Inc. In that proceeding, GASR has sought an exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 pursuant to an agreement with: (1) The Georgia Midland Railroad, Inc. to assume the lease and operation of approximately 51.9 miles of rail line in Peach, Houston, Crawford, Candler, Bulloch, and Screven Counties, GA; and (2) the Heart of Georgia Railroad, Inc. (HOG) to operate, under contract with HOG, approximately 42.4-miles of line currently leased and operated by HOG in Toombs, Treutlen, Emanuel and Jenkins Counties, GA.