The Georgia, Carolina and Northern Railway was a Southeastern railroad that began after Reconstruction and operated up until the start of the 20th century. It ran from Monroe, North Carolina to Atlanta, Georgia and later became part of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad.

History

Construction and early years

The Georgia, Carolina and Northern Railway was founded in 1886 with the goal of building a line from Monroe, North Carolina, to Atlanta, Georgia. Construction on the line began in 1887 in North Carolina. By 1892 the railroad had almost completed its original plan when a court injunction halted its progress into Atlanta. As a result, the GC&N developed the Seaboard Air Line Belt Railroad. The Seaboard Air Line Belt Railroad ran about 8 mi from Belt Junction (near Emory University) west to the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway for which the Georgia, Carolina and Northern Railway had trackage rights into Atlanta. In 1898 the railroad acquired the Loganville and Lawrenceville Railroad.

Seaboard Air Line years

In 1901 the GC&N was formally merged into the Seaboard Air Line Railway. The Seaboard operated the line as their Abbeville Subdivision from Monroe to Abbeville, South Carolina and as their Atlanta Subdivision from Abbeville to Atlanta. The Seaboard primarily used the line for passenger services to Atlanta. The Silver Comet, The Cherry Blossoms, and The Capitol were passenger trains that ran the line daily from Monroe to Atlanta.

Later years

In 1967, the Seaboard Air Line merged with its rival, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL). The merged company was named the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL). Seaboard Coast Line designated the entire line from Monroe to Atlanta as the Abbeville Subdivision. The Silver Comet was discontinued the following year. In 1980, the Seaboard Coast Line's parent company merged with the Chessie System, creating the CSX Corporation. The CSX Corporation initially operated the Chessie and Seaboard Systems separately until 1986, when they were merged into CSX Transportation. CSX would later truncate the Abbeville Subdivision designation at Abbeville with track north of there being annexed to the Monroe Subdivision.

Current operations

The full line is still in service today and it is still operated by CSX Transportation. The line is the primary route from the Northeast to Atlanta, and it is dispatched by Centralized traffic control.

Monroe to Abbeville

The line from Monroe to Abbeville is now part of the CSX's Monroe Subdivision. The Monroe Subdivision also includes track from Monroe to just outside of Hamlet, North Carolina.

Abbeville Subdivision

From Abbeville to Tucker, Georgia, the line is CSX's Abbeville Subdivision. The Abbeville Subdivision connects with CSX's Gainesville Midland Subdivision and the Hartwell Railroad in Athens, Georgia. It also serves Total Distribution Services Inc. (TDSI), a CSX subsidiary, near Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Tucker to Atlanta

The line from Tucker to Atlanta is part of CSX's Atlanta Terminal Subdivision, which also includes the company's other rail lines within Atlanta.

Historic stations