Atlanta Rails

Georgia Northeastern Line tour

If you are in the Atlanta area and you are looking for that short line railroad to follow and photograph, why not try out the GNRR? This line begins in Marietta which is located of I-75 about 15 minutes from downtown. The line diverges off the CSX just past downtown Marietta at a location called Elizabeth. That is the former name of the community prior to being incorporated into Marietta. Then line follows GA 5 and goes thru the towns of Woodstock, Holly Springs, Canton, Ballground, Nelson and Tate. Even tho the line continues north to the state line, freight service only goes far as Whitestone.

In Tate, there is the locomotive service facility and the old Georgia Marble branch that was once owned by the Georgia Marble Company. Although it is not accessible by road, there is the only known set of switch backs in the state on that spur that leads down to the marble quarries in Tate and Marble Hill.

The GNRR route has a long history that dates back the the 1850’s. The line was once part of the L&N “Hook and Eye” route that traversed its way thru the hills of north GA and eastern TN to Etowah and then onto Knoxville. The GNRR currently runs from Marietta to McCayesville. The portion of the line from Blue Ridge to McCayesville is operated under the Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad. http://brscenic.com

There are several sources on the web where one can find more info on the history of the line and the past railroads the line was prior to becoming the L&N. An easy to read version of the lines history can be found here.

Marietta