According to a 1999 CSX timetable Q212 a Balwind, FL to Atlanta, GA train would leave Manchest, GA at 2045 arrive Lawrencevill, GA 0330 with final arrival in Atlanta at 0800. My question why the routing to Lawrenceville? What trackage would this train take from Manchester?

Thanks, John Zwemer

-- john zwemer (jtzwemer_@hotmail.com), July 10, 2001

Answers

John, i work the Fitzgerald to Atlanta pool that operates all trains from Jacksonville to Atlanta. the last time i worked a Q212 was on March 11th this year. I don't think this train operates as regular as it once did. however, we do operate a Q228, Q230, and a Q236 regularly, all empty autoracks. Every trip that i've ever made, except one, the train went into Tilford Yard and was a run thru on up north. That one trip, I ran the train to 10th St. in Atlanta, and another crew got on and carried it to Lawrenceville! I don't know what they did with it from that point on. You've got to remember, i'm only one out of about 26 engineer's that operate this pool on a daily basis, however, i keep up with what trains they are operating also. As for the trackage involved, the only way our north bound trains can go to the old Ga. Road or the Abbeville side, safely, is to use the Stonewall Connection track at Union City, Ga. That puts us on the old A @ WP RR into the Norfolk Southern trackage at East Point and then on into downtown Atlanta. the only other way would be to use the Wye track at the South end of Tilford Yd. That would be a good way to derail long and or heavy trains, as it is very sharp curvature and a very steep ascending grade to boot. hope i've helped.

-- Dan Henderson (dghender@surfsouth.com), July 12, 2001.

Q212 when it operates out of Baldwin, Fl is a solid empty autorack train built from connections off of Q250, out of Palm Center and Q258, out of Tampa. Train goes to Lawrenceville to load automobiles from a large distribution facility.

-- Bob Shaw (Rdbobshaw@aol.com), July 10, 2001.

I started to say that must have been a misprint - Lawrenceville is on the ex-SAL Atlanta-Athens-Monroe route east of Atlanta, and a train from Manchester would have to go north to Atlanta first, then east to Lawrenceville, then backtrack west over the same trackage to get back to Atlanta. However, the current Bull Sheet listing, http://www.bullsheet.com/schedules/schedule.cfm?series=Q200, says the same thing - so the train must set out and/or pick up at Lawrenceville first, then end its run back at Atlanta (Tilford Yard).

-- Larry Goolsby (LGoolsby@aphsa.org), July 10, 2001.