Down Savannah Way
While disconnected from the national rail network the Georgia State Railroad Museum does offer short rides around the grounds of the former Central of Georgia Railroad shop complex. Consisting of a 44 tonner and a home built 'coach' on a flat car the ride leaves from beside the old storehouse and then pulls over a diamond on a tail track leading toward the long gone bridge that once connected to the mainline. Then they reverse direction and back on to the operating turntable in front of the roundhouse where they are spun almost 360 degrees and then shove off on another track leading back ovee the diamond around the curve and backing inside the old paint shop to view equipment stored and under restoration there. Then the whole process is reversed and narration is given along the way making for a very well done experience despite the tiny actual length of the ride.
Seen here pulling off the turntable with the 2 PM train ride is Savannah Central 7069. This GE 44-tonner was blt. Dec. 1942 for the US Army and later served the Air Force before being sold to the Claremont and Concord in 1987 after their shop fire destroyed three of their units. Renumbered as CCRR 30 (2nd) it worked for the little New Hampshire pike until being sold in 2008.
Overall the GSRM was much better and more interesting than I expected and if you appreciate railroad history and old structures then this is well worth an hour or two of your time if you ever find yourself in this grand old southern city. To learn a bit about the museum check out their official website here:
And for an excellent roster and detail of their collection check out this wonderful site:
hawkinsrails.net/preservation/gsrm/gsrm_loco.html
The city of Savannah was the headquarters of two roads, the Central of Georgia and the Savannah and Atlanta. The latter was swallowed up by its much larger neighbor in 1951 which itself was acquired by the giant Southern Railway in 1963.
For a nice concise overview of the CofG check out this article:
www.trains.com/ctr/railroads/fallen-flags/central-of-geor...
And for a fabulous history published by the railroad itself start here:
www.cofga.org/railway/history/
Savannah, Georgia
Wednesday March 29, 2023
Down Savannah Way
While disconnected from the national rail network the Georgia State Railroad Museum does offer short rides around the grounds of the former Central of Georgia Railroad shop complex. Consisting of a 44 tonner and a home built 'coach' on a flat car the ride leaves from beside the old storehouse and then pulls over a diamond on a tail track leading toward the long gone bridge that once connected to the mainline. Then they reverse direction and back on to the operating turntable in front of the roundhouse where they are spun almost 360 degrees and then shove off on another track leading back ovee the diamond around the curve and backing inside the old paint shop to view equipment stored and under restoration there. Then the whole process is reversed and narration is given along the way making for a very well done experience despite the tiny actual length of the ride.
Seen here pulling off the turntable with the 2 PM train ride is Savannah Central 7069. This GE 44-tonner was blt. Dec. 1942 for the US Army and later served the Air Force before being sold to the Claremont and Concord in 1987 after their shop fire destroyed three of their units. Renumbered as CCRR 30 (2nd) it worked for the little New Hampshire pike until being sold in 2008.
Overall the GSRM was much better and more interesting than I expected and if you appreciate railroad history and old structures then this is well worth an hour or two of your time if you ever find yourself in this grand old southern city. To learn a bit about the museum check out their official website here:
And for an excellent roster and detail of their collection check out this wonderful site:
hawkinsrails.net/preservation/gsrm/gsrm_loco.html
The city of Savannah was the headquarters of two roads, the Central of Georgia and the Savannah and Atlanta. The latter was swallowed up by its much larger neighbor in 1951 which itself was acquired by the giant Southern Railway in 1963.
For a nice concise overview of the CofG check out this article:
www.trains.com/ctr/railroads/fallen-flags/central-of-geor...
And for a fabulous history published by the railroad itself start here:
www.cofga.org/railway/history/
Savannah, Georgia
Wednesday March 29, 2023