Railroads into Folkston Ga.

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Recently I visited the Folkston Ga. area and was wondering what the two lines that came in from the north originally where? I know the line to Waycross was ACL and I thought the other was Seaboard.However my 1957 Official Guide to the Railways shows the Seaboard passing to the east of Folkston and that the Southern came into it.If this is the case when did the Southern turn it over to what is now CSX? Your clarification would be greatly appreciated.Thank You.

-- Joe Vittitoe (srfan@webtv.net), May 20, 2002

Answers

Just a little two-cents worth: Danny Harmon stated MP numbers changed at Folkston north to Waycross, he is correct. The original branch is from Jesup where the "A" line continues south to Jax- Sanford-Tampa. The line fron Jesup to Waycross is "AN" all the way to Montgomery,AL. The "cutoff" is "ANA" from Folkston to Waycross where it rejoins the "AN" line. The numbering is started off the "AN" line from Waycross south. That's why the big change after the line rejoins at Folkston. Just thought you'd like to know.

-- Walt Rogers (wjriii@verizon.net), June 01, 2002.

The GS&F is long gone from Hampton. The line stops at Lake City, FL. It used to to go to Palatka for iterchange via a bridge with the FEC (even longer removed!)and to service a huge paper mill west of town.

-- Bob Arnold (Arnold394@aol.com), June 01, 2002.

As an addition to Bob Venditti's answer, the cutoff from Jesup to Folkston was called "Jesup Short Line" on timetables. Track layout history can be a little confusing in that , looking northward at Folkston the diverging route is toward Waycross and begins different milepost numbering there. While up at Jesup looking southward, the diverging route is actually off to the left toward Folkston with the main going straight into Waycross.

-- Danny Harmon (distsig@aol.com), May 27, 2002.

Regarding the "Southern through Folkston," SR had trackage rights over ACL from Hardeeville, SC, through Savannah and to Jacksonville, until the 1960s - they ran a couple of passenger and freight trains.

-- Larry Goolsby (LGoolsby@aphsa.org), May 21, 2002.

here is the map from the 1981 waycross terminal employee timetable from SCL

click here

note, its big, i highlighted ex-SAL lines in yellow for you

-- troy nolen (tnolen12@tampabay.rr.com), May 20, 2002.



Joe, all the trackage through Folkston is ex-ACL. The Seaboard passed east of here through Kingsland on it's Jax-Savannah mainline. The original ACL route ran northwest from Jax. to Waycross (where it intersected with ACL's Savannah-Jesup-Montgomery line, among others.

Later,a shortcut was built (often called the Jesup cut-off) between Jesup and Folkston, bypassing Waycross. This is the current route taken by all Amtrak trains to Fla. The ex-Southern crosses the ACL overhead at Jesup, enroute to Brunswick.

Ex-SOU RR also reaches FL via Fargo and St. George, GA southwest of Folkston. Also, SRR subsidiary Georgia, Southern & Florida interchanged with Seaboard at Hampton FL. This is the only such occurance I know of between the two railroads. Most likely current CSX and NS have some sort of interchanges/trackage rights in that area; someone else will have to fill you in. Hope this helps.

-- Bob Venditti (bobvend@bellsouth.net), May 20, 2002.


they are both ex-ACL

at folkston the mainline diverged

the nahunta subdivision continued on about northeast the jessup (i think thats what it was called) subdivision branched off, heading northwest toward waycross, albany and points beyond

the SAL mainline was considerabally to the east and Southern railway was considerabally to the west

-- troy nolen (tnolen12@tampabay.rr.com), May 20, 2002.


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