Does anyone know why the former C of G Savannah District was never equipped with ABS between M&E Jct. and Port Jct.? Was it ever considered by the C of G or N.S. or does light traffic not justify them? I have always thought that the Savannah District was a pretty busy line.

-- Justin Dzan, Louisville, KY (jbdzan@aol.com), January 28, 2001

Answers

Justin,

The Savannah District is pretty busy, especially during late afternoon and at night. I don't know why the line from M&E Jct. to Port Jct. was never equipped with signals, but I can tell you it needs to be. I hired on NS in 1997 as a yard clerk in Savannah, then as a yard clerk in Tennille, where I worked third shift. I was in constant communication with the dispatcher every night, setting up meets with trains in the yard. A lot of times it was a real headache, seeing as how most of the trains had work to do at Tennille, not to mention factoring in the length.

Besides Tennille yard, there are only 3 sidings between Macon and Millen where trains can meet: Griswold (between Macon and Gordon), Toomsboro (between Gordon and Tennille), and Wadley (between Tennille and Millen). At Millen, the line splits, one going north to Augusta, the other on east to Savannah. So the traffic density is more concentrated between Macon and Millen, thus the reason Tennille yard is "chosen" as another place to meet the parades.

-- Jared Blocker (jlaneblock@hotmail.com), October 15, 2002.