Athens Line Railroad 11-23-08

First off i must make an apology about this video, due to a stupid mistake i accidentally bumped the power button cutting off what wouldve been the best part of the movie, secondly i apologize for the shoddy camera work in the first part. However i think this is still worth a watch for people who like shortlines and Leslie horns. Hartwell Railroad 3106 and ex-IC GP10 8396 are seen switching the University of Georgia heating plant in Athens, GA. The spur is located right on the front lawn of one of the university's building and practically on the sidewalk, the tight clearance makes for some interesting trackage.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Athens
• Line
• Railroad
• Hartwell
• GP30
• Illinois
• Central
• GP10
• clag
• thrash
• smoke
• EMD
• hoppers
• coal
• UGA
• University
• Georgia
• RS5T
• Leslie
• Horn

[CU2010ITS]

I grew up in Athens and can still remember when Central of GA ran this part of the line. I also remember when Southern Railroad ran the north section and Seaboard was busy. And how bout this, I remember seeing GA Railroad which also came into Athens. Athens in its early years was a hub of alot of different roads and was very busy. Am so glad to see this track being used again.

[nikosjk1]

@CU2010ITS: Athens used to be quite an interesting place back then by all accounts. The only real show left is CSX on the SAL. The heating plant is the only customer left on the CofG, and its seasonal, they havnt run a train to Watkinsvile in almost a year now. Wish the Georgia Railroad was still in place, it was a nice line with the trestles and depots, wouldve loved to have ridden one of the mixed trains to Union Point and back.

[DouglasP201]

Is the track still in use?

[nikosjk1]

@DouglasP201: Yes, they actually went in this year and resurfaced it and put in new ties as well.

[moonspots01]

I am posting once again because you have captured so many of the same locations in Athens I used railfan from when I was there (1981-1986). I am glad to see the heating plant still gets coal via the railroad!

[nikosjk1]

Yes, this is one of the reasons the lines still in operation, in the winter they deliver several cars each week. Interesting to imagine high nose Southern GP38-2's shoving coal up that same track, though todays shortline power is older than what Southern probably used then!

[themeddleman]

@ri1288 Last I heard, Southwire is closed, or they are using a diffferent industry to ship out the wire.

[themeddleman]

Living in the Athens area for years, I've seen this activity for a while. This train should be loaded with coal for the fire plant that largely heats a good protion of UGA by steam. I think that at one time there was a pool near the football feild that was heated by steam. It has since been demolished and filled or removed to provide room for another building and parking deck. Nice shooting.

[Subaruguy8508]

Love that horn....the engineer is quite skilled on that horn valve! Good job....I want to see more!

[pojl]

who was the guy on the back of the first one

[Heyde1979]

you picked a great location to shoot freight train videos

[SR722]

Great work, I wasn't aware that UGA was on live rail; it looks like an interesting operation.