Georgia Southern and Florida Railway

Last updated
Georgia Southern and Florida Railway listed in Sholes' Directory, 1893 Sholes' directory of the city of Macon, August 1st, 1893. Volume VI - DPLA - 1f28479a65266654a4156954e1f4d1ce.pdf
Georgia Southern and Florida Railway listed in Sholes' Directory, 1893

The Georgia Southern and Florida Railway( reporting mark GSF), also known as the Suwanee River Route from its crossing of the Suwanee River, was founded in 1885 as the Georgia Southern and Florida Railroad and began operations between Macon, GA and Valdosta, GA in 1889, extending to Palatka, FL in 1890. The railroad went bankrupt by 1891, was reorganized as the Georgia Southern and Florida Railway in 1895, and was controlled by the Southern Railway.

Contents

In 1902, the GS&F purchased the Atlantic, Valdosta and Western Railway that ran from Valdosta, GA to Jacksonville, FL. The GS&F also owned the Macon and Birmingham Railway and the Hawkinsville and Florida Southern Railway, both of which were operated as separate companies; [1] both ended up going bankrupt and being mostly abandoned. The GS&F was eventually acquired by the Norfolk Southern Railway and still operates as a subsidiary. As of November 2012, at least one operating Norfolk Southern locomotive retains GSF reporting marks.

The line was abandoned south of Lake City, Florida in the late 1980s. The Palatka-Lake Butler State Trail runs along some of the abandoned right of way. The remaining line is still in service and operated by Norfolk Southern Railway. [2] It is designated as Norfolk Southern's Macon District from Macon to Valdosta, and the Navair District from Valdosta to end of the line in Navair (just south of Lake City). [3]

Historic stations

StateMilepostCity/LocationStation [4] [5] [3] Connections and notes
GA 0.0 G Macon Terminal Station opened in 1916
junction with:
0.9 GMacon Junctionjunction with Central of Georgia Railway
1.3 GMacon Yard
4.4 GTamworth
7.9 GSofkeejunction with Macon and Birmingham Railway (GSF) [6]
10.6 G Avondale Avondale
13.0 G Elberta Elberta
16.0 G Warner Robins Warner Robinsoriginally named Wellston
21.3 G Bonaire Bonaire
24.9 G Kathleen Kathleen
29.0 GTivola
30.9 G Clinchfield Clinchfield
34.9 G Grovania Grovania
38.4 G Elko Elko
43.9 G Unadilla Unadilla
48.8 G Pinehurst Pinehurst
51.7 G Findlay Findlay
56.2 G Vienna Vienna
59.5 G Richwood Richwood
64.5 G Cordele Cordelejunction with:
69.2 G Wenona Wenona
74.4 G Arabi Arabi
77.5 GSibley
79.2 G Dakota Dakota
81.5 G Worth Worthjunction with Hawkinsville & Florida Southern Railway (GSF) [6]
84.8 G Ashburn Ashburn
87.4 G Sycamore Sycamore
91.6 GInaha
95.3 G Sunsweet Sunsweet
98.1 G Chula Chula
105.2 G Tifton Tiftonjunction with:
111.9 G Eldorado Eldorado
118.1 G Lenox Lenox
123.0 G Laconte Laconte
125.5 G Sparks Sparks
127.7 G Adel Adel
131.0 GHeartpine
134.2 G Cecil Cecil
138.1 G Hahira Hahira
144.3 G Mineola Mineola
151.2 G Valdosta Valdostajunction with:
157.6 B Dasher Dasher
163.4 B Lake Park Lake Park
167.2 BMelrose
FL 170.7 B Jennings Jennings
176.1 B Avoca Avoca
182.2 B Jasper Jasperjunction with Savannah, Florida and Western Railroad Florida Division (ACL)
192.8 BGenoa
196.3 BFacil
199.7 B White Springs White Springs
203.2 BSuwanee Valley
206.0 BWinfield
211.6 B Lake City Lake City junction with:
212.7 B Watertown Watertown Junctionjunction with Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad Western Division (SAL)
219.0 BJefferson
222.3 B Lulu Lulu
227.9 BGuilford
229.1 BCliftonville
232.9 B Lake Butler Lake Butlerjunction with Jacksonville and Southwestern Railroad (ACL)
239.2 BNew River
243.9 B Sampson City Sampson Cityjunction with:
249.6 B Hampton Hamptonjunction with Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad Southern Division (SAL)
253.4 BTheressa
257.8 BBrooklyn
258.5 B Keystone Heights Keystone Heights
259.9 B Lake Geneva Lake Geneva
264.5 B Putnam Hall Putnam Hall
267.1 B Grandin Grandin
269.1 B Florahome Florahome
273.0 BBaywood
275.4 BCarraway
278.0 BWoodburn
280.0 BSpringside
285.6 B Palatka Palatka relocated to union depot in 1908
junction with:

See also

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References

  1. Map of Georgia Southern and Florida Railway and connections (Official Guide of the Railways, April 1918, via RailGA)
  2. "Lake City to Palatka, FL". Abandoned Rails. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  3. 1 2 Norfolk Southern Georgia Division Timetable
  4. "Georgia Railroads: Passenger Stations & Stops" (PDF). Jim Fergusson's Railway and Tramway Station Lists (Georgia). Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  5. "Florida Railroads: Passenger Stations & Stops" (PDF). Jim Fergusson's Railway and Tramway Station Lists (Florida). Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  6. 1 2 Georgia Southern and Florida