route
South Georgia Railway
Incorporated in 1896, the South Georgia Railroad opened a 28-mile shortline railroad between Heartpine and Quitman, Georgia, in March 1897. A 23-mile extension from Quitman to Greenville, Florida, opened in October 1901. In 1902 the South Georgia leased the West Coast Railway of Florida which was chartered to build a line from Greenville to Perry, Florida. The combined railroads changed the name to South Georgia & West Coast Railway, however this name was soon dropped in a reorganization and the railroad was officially renamed the South Georgia Railway. A 26-mile Greenville to Perry extension was completed in 1904, and the line’s northern terminus was moved a few miles northward from Heartpine to Adel. The railroad's general offices were in Quitman. In 1971 the South Georgia merged with the Live Oak, Perry & Gulf Railroad to form the Live Oak, Perry & South Georgia Railway, running from Adel to Perry. It was owned and operated by the Southern Railway.
See also our complete Live Oak, Perry & Gulf Railroad scrapbook in Shortlines
SG route map / collection
HawkinsRails thanks railfan friend Russell Tedder for use of his SG photos and descriptions
Steam Motive Power
South Georgia #6
Adel, Ga / 1940 / Tedder collection
South Georgia #6
through Birmingham Rail & Loco
to South Georgia #6 (second)
scrapped 1955
Quitman, Ga / unknown / Tedder collection
Tedder collection
Foley, Fl / 1949 / Tedder collection
South Georgia #101
Perry, Fl / Aug 1933 / Tedder collection
South Georgia #101
with sister #100, Baldwin #34904
scrapped 1955
Perry, Fl / Aug 1933 / Tedder collection
South Georgia #103
Perry, Fl / Aug 1933 / Tedder collection
South Georgia #103
scrapped 1955
Perry, Fl / unknown / Tedder collection
Adel, Ga / 1940 / Tedder collection
Diesel Motive Power
South Georgia #202
Quitman, Ga / Nov 1951 / Tedder collection
South Georgia #202
retired by Southern 1969
Quitman, Ga / Nov 1951 / Tedder collection
Adel, Ga / 1949 / Tedder collection
South Georgia #292
Perry, Fl / 1969 / Tedder collection
Locations
Perry, Fl / Aug 1933 / Tedder collection
Perry Fl map / Tony Howe
Lagniappe
Perry, Fl / Aug 1933 / Tedder collection
Perry, Fl / Aug 1933 / Tedder collection
Pinellas Excursion
Below are a few scenes around Perry of an excursion train for the Pinellas Railway Club in November 1951. South Georgia GE 70 tonner #202 handled the train that day, which consisted of combine #68 and an outfitted gondola on the rear. In one scene, you can see the South Georgia M-100 motorcar (doodlebug) that was the equipment used on first class passenger trains Nos. 1 and 2 from Perry to Adel and return (No. 2 northbound, No. 1 southbound). On the day of the excursion, a Sunday, the doodlebug stayed behind and the excursion train became Nos. 1 and 2. There are also two or three photos of the train, one between Perry and Adel on a bridge (Okapilco Creek) and two at the yard at Adel.
Russell Tedder
all photos above at Perry, Fl / Nov 1951 / Tedder collection
unknown / 1949 / Tedder collection
South Georgia doodlebug #2
crossing Seaboard Air Line / Greenville, Fl / c 1950 / Tedder collection
Perry, Fl / 1969 / Tedder collection
Quitman, Ga / 1955 / Tedder collection
The scene below with two Southern F units coupled to cars is the South Georgia northbound train from Perry to Adel circa 1960. After SG and LOP&G came under common control in 1947, the South Georgia trains always yarded their cars in and out of Perry in the LOP&G yard. This continued after Southern took over in 1954. In this scene, the northbound extra powered by the two F units is backing through town by the LOP&G station (joint with SG at this time) and through the connecting track onto the SG mainline. Once the engines are in the clear on the SG mainline, they will head north, crossing the LOP&G mainline, on their run to Adel. These trains usually ran with 40 to 50 cars.
Russell Tedder
Perry, Fl / c 1960 / Tedder collection
Links / Sources
- Richard Prince, Southern Railway System - Steam Locomotives (Prince, 1970) 262-3
- Wikipedia article for Live Oak, Perry and South Georgia Railway
- Georgia's Railroad History & Heritage South Georgia page
- Taplines article for South Georgia