When did passenger service cease on the line that ran from Albany, GA through Dothan, AL, and on to Hartsford, AL (now abandoned)? All of the line south of Dothan was sold to the Hartsford and Slocomb RR sometime in the '50s; HS abandoned most of this track in 92-93. I am asking this (long winded) question because I am interested in connecting service on the Atlanta & St. Andrews Bay, that runs from Dothan to Panama City, FL.

-- John Taylor (hhtaylor@toad.net), January 27, 1998

Answers

I think the original question has been answered; however I would like to respond to a response from Bill Fuller concerning the track in front of the depot in Albany. I cannot say definitively that what was stated is wrong, but use of the track by the Dothan to PC train is a story which has been around for a long time. From what I have been able to determine, the track was part of the Albany trolley system. The line came north on Washington Street and turned right (east) on Roosevelt Avenue, ending in front of the depot. If you look at the brick paving you can see the area patched after removal of the trolley tracks near Washington Street.

The track arrangement in the depot area changed radically between 1857 and 1912 when construction of the existing depot began. At one time track around the depot site formed a "Y" with the Central line to Dothan connecting to the SF&W(ACL) in the middle of the street. The ACL track was actually a siding for businesses on the south side of Roosevelt (then called North Ave.), but extended to the Central. Perhaps both lines used the track. In any case, the siding was located south of the current track location (the trolley track). If anyone happens to have or know of a photograph showing a passenger train in front of the "new" depot, please let me know.

-- Stephen Syfrett (ssyfrett@mindspring.com), January 24, 1999.

Being a life-long resident of the Columbia AL area, which is located on the Albany-Dothan line, I was very interested in the information everyone supplied here. I have some old CofG public timetables that I thought I would share some information from on this subject.

The December 1922 timetable shows 2 eastbound and 2 westbound trains between Albany and Lockhart AL, the western terminus for passenger service on the line at that time. #8 left Albany at 735am, arrived Dothan at 1108AM, and Lockhart at 235pm. #2 left Albany at 415pm, arrived Dothan at 735pm, and Lockhart at 1030pm. #15 left Lockhart at 5am, arrived Dothan at 822am, and Albany at 1150am. #3 left Lockhart at 150pm, arrived Dothan at 455pm, and Albany at 820pm. The trains appear to originate in Atlanta or at least have connecting coaches to and from Atlanta. North of Smithville they are combined with Montgomery district trains. At Smithville they split away from/combine with trains to/from Eufaula/Montgomery. No sleeping car service is mentioned on the Albany to Lockhart portion.

The January 1929 finds the schedules from 1922 basically the same with the change being #2 and #15 teriminate and originate at Hartford AL instead of going all the way to Lockhart. The combining/separating continues at Smithville.

May 1946 lists 1 a day in each direction with the emphasis out of Dothan on the ASAB to Panama City. #4-7 is carded out of Atlanta at 11pm, Macon 245am, Albany 745am, Dothan 945am, arrival at Panama City at 1220pm. #8-3 shows out of Panama City at 4pm, Dothan at 640pm, Albany 1040pm, Macon at 410am, with arrival in Atlanta at 715am. A daily mixed train shows operating west of Dothan to/from Hartford with times set up to connect with the trains to/from Albany. Times for Montgomery district trains at Smithville coincide with the Dothan district trains but it doesn't appear to have connecting cars at this time. One passenger train still operates in each direction Smithville to Montgomery at this time with a mixed train shown operating 3 days a week between Smithville and Eufaula.

I hope this has been some help and hasn't been too long winded. In 1981 I began work with Southern Rwy, soon to be NS at that time, as a clerk/operator on the Southwest district. I worked the "second trick" at Dothan for about 1 1/2 years and the agents job in Eufaula for 3 years. I left NS in 1988 to go to work for another railroad. My other time at NS was spent working the line of road extraboard which allowed me to see many of the places mentioned in these old timetables.

Again, thanks for all the info on the Dothan line and thanks for all the other info on these pages and I hope I have been of some help with passenger service on the Dothan line.

Bryan Smith Columbia AL

-- Bryan Smith (bsmith3608@aol.com), February 28, 1998.

Nos. 7 & 8 - Albany and Dothan - discontinued Sunday, July 15, 1956

-- David Payne (DavidCofGa@aol.com), February 16, 1998.

Thank you to all who have responded to this question. First, if anyone tries to send me private email, please note that my address has changed. This information is very helpful; I always thought service ended in 1954, although I can't remember where I read that. I do know that the Bay Line trains were numbers 1 and 4 (2&3 operated on opposite schedules through WWII) Also, if anyone has any actual Bay Line timetables, pictures of the CG/ASAB trains, or photos of the Dothan Depot before it was bricked up, please email them to me, and I will put them on the Bay Line site (http://www.wam.umd.edu/~jhtaylor/bayline.html) Any information is always appreciated. Thank you, everyone.

-- John Taylor (jhtaylor@wam.umd.edu), February 01, 1998.

If you visit Albany, GA train station, note the track in the street leading to the front door of the station. The train to Dothan used that track (which dead ends at the front door of the station). Passengers literally boarded the train in the middle of the street.

-- bill fuller (bfuller@aol.com), January 31, 1998.

Update to previous answer - Albany-Dothan trains were 7-8. They were last shown in Macon Division Operating Timetable No. 25, dated April 29, 1956. (The PC Pullman sleeper did come off in late 1955, probably with the ASAB passenger service.)

The line west of Dothan appeared in the Operating Timetable No. 16, dated July 19, 1953. It was not shown in No. 18, dated October 19, 1953. (I don't have a No. 17 in my collection.) So it appears that the line was sold sometime between July and October, 1953.

Bob Hanson

-- Robert H. Hanson (RHanson669@aol.com), January 31, 1998.

The Albany-Dothan trains (4 and 7) apparently came off in late 1955. At least that is when the ATL-PC sleeper came off and the service is not listed in the Winter 1955-56 public timetable. The track between Dothan and Slocomb was sold earlier - 1953, I think, but can't come up with the source of that date.

Any more precise info would be appreciated.

Bob Hanson

-- Robert H. Hanson (RHanson669@aol.com), January 31, 1998.