Atlantic, Valdosta and Western Railway

Last updated
Atlantic, Valdosta and Western Railway
Overview
Locale Georgia and Florida, USA
Dates of operation1897 (1897) (chartered)
1899 (1899) (opened)1902 (1902)
Successor Southern Railway
Technical
Length110 mi (180 km) (mainline)
45 mi (72 km) (branches) [1]

Chartered in 1897, the Atlantic, Valdosta and Western Railway operated from Valdosta, Georgia, to Jacksonville, Florida, and was nicknamed the Jacksonville Short Line. The line was opened in July 1899, [2] prefaced by a "bohemian smoker" banquet in Valdosta on June 27, 1899. [3] In May 1902, the railroad was purchased by the Georgia Southern and Florida Railway and their parent company Southern Railway. [1] The line was quickly integrated into Southern's passenger schedules with travel between Valdosta and Jacksonville advertised at about 312 hours. [4] Southern took control of the AV&W on July 1, 1902. [5]

In 1899, the railroad wanted to access the Jacksonville union terminal for its passenger trains. The Jacksonville Terminal Company, owners of the station, refused the railroad entry so the railroad took the matter to the Florida railroad commission. The commission, issuing its very first ruling ever, decided on September 4, 1899, that the railroad should be granted access in exchange for an appropriate station fee, [6] which was specified by the commission at a rate $4,300 less per year than the other railroad companies that were already using the station, [7] but the Terminal Company still refused, taking the matter to court. While the case was making its way, the railroad purchased one fourth of the stock of the Jacksonville Terminal Company, so that when it finally arrived at the state supreme court in December 1900, the court dismissed the case noting that the railroad had full access through its stock ownership and the case was no longer valid. [8]

Shortly before the railroad was sold, work began on an extension of the line from Valdosta to Albany, Georgia, with the goal of reaching Moultrie. [9]

The line remains in service today, and it now operates as Norfolk Southern Railway's Valdosta District. [10]

Historic stations

StateMilepostCity/LocationStation [11] [12] Connections and notes
GA 151.2 G Valdosta Valdostajunction with:
161.2 G Blanton Blanton
165.0 G Howell Howell
167.6 GMayday
173.4 GHaylowjunction with Savannah, Florida and Western Railroad Florida Division (ACL)
176.9 G Fruitland Fruitland
178.7 GThelma
184.0 GCraig Junction
194.0 G Calhoun Calhoun
185.6 GHeadlight
190.0 GFinlayson
192.3 GColon
194.0 GVickers Junction
198.4 G Fargo Fargo
199.0 G Edith Edith
200.0 GDuncan
204.4 G Council Council
205.7 GEwing
FL 207. GMorehead
216.5 GEddy
222.6 GBaxter
GA 223.2 G Moniac Moniac
Oliver
230.0 GClarking
232.7 GBattenville
234.7 G St. George St. George
FL 237.0 GSt. Marys
239.0 G Kent Kent
239.0 GJohnson City
244.1 G Crawford Crawfordjunction with Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad Southern Division (SAL)
Keen's
250.4 GPlummer
253.5 GSpalding
254.3 GKingsgrove
256.6 GHoyt
258.2 G Jacksonville Simpson Yard
258.0 GGrand Crossingjunction with Jacksonville and Southwestern Railroad (ACL)
261.8 G Jacksonville original station located on East Bay Street
relocated to Jacksonville Union Terminal in 1919
junction with:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seaboard Air Line Railroad</span> Defunct American railroad

The Seaboard Air Line Railroad, which styled itself as "The Route of Courteous Service", was an American railroad that existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. Predecessor railroads dated from the 1830s and reorganized extensively to rebuild after the American Civil War. The company was headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, until 1958, when its main offices were relocated to Richmond, Virginia. The Seaboard Air Line Railway Building in Norfolk's historic Freemason District still stands and has been converted into apartments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic Coast Line Railroad</span> Defunct American Class I railroad

The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967, it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. Much of the original ACL network has been part of CSX Transportation since 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Florida Railroad</span> Historic railroad in Central Florida

The South Florida Railroad was a railroad from Sanford, Florida, to Tampa, Florida, becoming part of the Plant System in 1893 and the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902. It served as the southernmost segment of the Atlantic Coast Line's main line. The line remains in service today and is now part of the Central Florida Rail Corridor in the Orlando metro area. The rest of the line remains under the ownership of CSX Transportation as part of their A Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry B. Plant</span>

Henry Bradley Plant, was a businessman, entrepreneur, and investor involved with many transportation interests and projects, mostly railroads, in the southeastern United States. He was founder of the Plant System of railroads and steamboats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center</span>

Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center is a 265,000-square-foot (24,600 m2) convention center located in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. Opened in 1986, it was built incorporating Jacksonville Terminal Complex / Union Station as well as several thousand square feet of newly built structure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad</span> Historic railroad system

The Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad was the final name of a system of railroads throughout Florida, becoming part of the Seaboard Air Line Railway in 1900. The system, including some of the first railroads in Florida, stretched from Jacksonville west through Tallahassee and south to Tampa. Much of the FC&P network is still in service under the ownership of CSX Transportation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plant System</span> Historic railroad system

The Plant System, named after its owner, Henry B. Plant, was a system of railroads and steamboats in the U.S. South, taken over by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1902. The original line of the system was the Savannah, Florida and Western Railway, running across southern Georgia. The Plant Investment Company was formed in 1882 to lease and buy other railroads and expand the system. Other major lines incorporated into the system include the Savannah and Charleston Railroad and the Brunswick and Western Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Southern and Florida Railway</span>

The Georgia Southern and Florida Railway, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terminal Station (Atlanta)</span> Former railway station in Atlanta, Ga., USA (demolished 1972)

Terminal Station was the larger of two principal train stations in downtown Atlanta, Union Station being the other. Opening in 1905, Terminal Station served Southern Railway, Seaboard Air Line, Central of Georgia, and the Atlanta and West Point. The architect was P. Thornton Marye, whose firm also designed the Fox Theater and Capital City Club in downtown Atlanta, as well as the Birmingham Terminal Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta Union Station (1930)</span> Smaller of two principal train stations in downtown Atlanta

The Union Station built in 1930 in Atlanta was the smaller of two principal train stations in downtown, Terminal Station being the other. It was the third "union station" or "union depot", succeeding the 1853 station, burned in mid-November 1864 when Federal forces left Atlanta for the March to the Sea, and the 1871 station.

The Jacksonville & Southwestern Railroad (J&SW) was a railroad that served Florida from 1899 to 1904. It was purchased by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1904. The Atlantic Coast Line would extend the line further west and it would become their Jacksonville—Wilcox Line. Some of the original right-of-way was converted to a recreational path in the rails to trails program in the 1990s.

<i>Dixie Flyer</i> (train)

The Dixie Flyer was a premier named passenger train that operated from 1892 to 1965 via the "Dixie Route" from Chicago and St. Louis via Evansville, Nashville, and Atlanta to Florida. However, the train continued until 1969 as an Atlanta to Florida operation, run solely by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and its successor, the Seaboard Coast Line. The Flyer's route varied in early years, but by about 1920 was set as follows:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terminal Station (Macon, Georgia)</span> Train station in Macon, Georgia

Terminal Station, Macon, Georgia, is a railroad station that was built in 1916, and is located on 5th St. at the end of Cherry St. It was designed in the Beaux-Arts style by architect Alfred T. Fellheimer (1875–1959), prominent for his design of Grand Central Terminal in New York City in 1903. The station building is part of the Macon Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While no longer an active train station, it has been the location of the Macon Transit Authority bus hub since 2014.

The Jacksonville Terminal Subdivision is a group of railroad lines owned by CSX Transportation in and around Jacksonville, which was historically a major railroad hub. The Jacksonville Terminal Subdivision includes about 13.0 miles of track.

The Flamingo was a passenger night train operated by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad.

The Southland was a night train between Chicago, Illinois and different points in western and eastern Florida from 1915 to 1957. In the early years it was called the New Southland. It was distinctive among Midwest to Florida trains as its western branch was the only all-season mid-20th-century long-distance train passing from Georgia to Florida bypassing the usual passenger train hub of Jacksonville Union Station. The main operator was the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, and pooling partners were the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and to lesser extent, the Wabash Railroad and the Florida East Coast Railway. For southeast bound -but not northwest bound- trips to Norfolk, Virginia, some coaches in 1946 diverged at Cincinnati along a Norfolk and Western Railway route. Northwest bound, travelers could switch trains at Cincinnati for heading towards Chicago.

The Waycross Short Line was the unofficial name of a railroad line built by Henry B. Plant that ran from Waycross, Georgia to Jacksonville, Florida on the St. Johns River. The line through Georgia was chartered by Plant as the Waycross and Florida Railroad and the Florida segment was chartered as the East Florida Railway. The line crossed the Georgia/Florida border just south of Folkston, Georgia at the St. Marys River.

The Folkston Cutoff is a railroad line in southern Georgia. It runs from Jesup southwest to Folkston, a distance of 54 miles. It was built in 1901 by the Plant System to allow trains from the northeast to Florida to bypass their busy terminal in Waycross.

The Seaboard Air Line Railroad’s Main Line was the backbone of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad's network in the southeastern United States. The main line ran from Richmond, Virginia to Tampa, Florida, a distance of over 800 miles. Along its route it passed through Petersburg, Raleigh, Columbia, Savannah, Jacksonville, and Ocala, Florida. While some segments of the line have been abandoned as of 2023, most of the line is still in service and is owned by the Seaboard Air Line's successor, CSX Transportation as their S-Line.

References

  1. 1 2 "Southern Expands". The Canebrake Herald. Uniontown, AL. May 28, 1902. p. 1 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  2. "Railway Builders Dined". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, GA. July 20, 1899. p. 5 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  3. "Will Hold Bohemian Smoker". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, GA. June 25, 1899. p. 4 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  4. "Altnatic, Valdosta & Western Railway Dixie Flyer Route". Tampa Bay Times. St. Petersburg, FL. June 28, 1902. p. 6 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  5. "Sale of the A.V.&W. Railway". The Florida Star. Titusville, FL. June 20, 1902. p. 5 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  6. "Commission's First Ruling". The Anniston Star. Anniston, AL. September 10, 1899. p. 1 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  7. "Road Petition Granted". The Tampa Tribune. Tampa, FL. September 10, 1899. p. 5 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  8. "(untitled)". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, GA. December 23, 1900. p. 7 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  9. "Extension Work Is Started". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, GA. March 24, 1902. p. 6 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  10. Norfolk Southern Georgia Division Timetable
  11. "Georgia Railroads: Passenger Stations & Stops" (PDF). Jim Fergusson's Railway and Tramway Station Lists (Georgia). Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  12. "Florida Railroads: Passenger Stations & Stops" (PDF). Jim Fergusson's Railway and Tramway Station Lists (Florida). Retrieved 5 June 2020.