ade gal-perry fl line

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RR maps show that the line from Adel GA to Perry FL is operated by GA/FL Railnet and was formerly LOP&SG. What is the history of this line, who built it, who were past owners and operators? Was it ever part of ACL or SAL or their predecessors? What are operations ans traffic patterns today on this line? Besides the mills in Perry who are the customers and what is carried on this line today? Apparently CSX operates out of Thomasville to Quitman and then via trackage rights to Perry.

-- bob lowry (rlowry98@aol.com), December 22, 2001

Answers

Bob, the line actually extends 5 miles beyond Perry east to Foley, Fla., site of a pulpmill now owned by Buckeye Technologies and the major contributor of traffic on the line. The line from Adel to Perry was completed in 1904 as the West Coast Railway between Greenville, Fla., and Perry. The South Georgia Railway ran from from Adel to Greenville, 51 miles, and the West Coast Railway from Greenville to Perry and later to Hampton Springs, 31 miles). The South Georgia leased the West Coast Railway for 20 years,1904 to 1924, and operated the combined roads as the South Georgia & West Coast. The two roads were merged in 1924 as The South Georgia Railway Company. From Perry to Hampton Springs was abandoned in 1931. The five miles of the G&F RailNet between Perry and Foley was part of the Live Oak Perry & Gulf RR which was opened from Live Oak through Hampton Springs in 1906. It was later extended to Flintrock, Fla., 74 miles from Live Oak, and only ten miles from St. Marks on the Gulf, the road's intended destination. By 1941 the road had been abandoned between Springdale (3 miles west of Perry) and Flintrock, leaving only 47 miles between Live Oak, Perry and Springdale. Both roads were owned by lumber companies. In 1947 they both were under the control of the Brooks-Scanlon Corporation of Minneapolis which operated one of the world's largest sawmills in Foley. In 1954, after the Brooks-Scanlon sawmill had shut down and the property hadd been sold to Proctor & Gamble which built a pulp mill at Foley, both roads were bought by the Southern as subsidiaries of the GS&F. In 1972 the roads were merged as the LOP&SG and by 1976 the 40 miles between Foley and Live Oak had been abandoned. For many years the LOP&SG was operated as part of the Coastal Division of the Southern, along with the GS&F, and later as the Foley District of the Georgia Division of Norfolk Southern. In 1991 the CSXT abandoned the former ACL line between Thomasville and Foley and ran from Thomasville to Quitman on CSXT and then on trackage rights over the LOP&SG between Quitman and Foley. In 1995 the Foley District was sold to the Live Oak Perry & Georgia Railroad, the new LOP&G, a subsidiary of the Gulf & Ohio Railways (Pete Claussen) who operated it as part of his (new) Georgia & Florida Railway. In 1999 the (new)LOP&G, along with all of the new G&F, was sold to Georgia-Florida RailNet which operates it today. The CSXT still operates a daylight turn on trackage rights between Quitman and Foley on a five or six days per week basis. I have heard that G&F RailNet only operates three days a week, Monday- Wednesday-Friday, on a nightly turn between Adel and Foley. Now you probably know more than you ever wanted to know. I have run through this hurriedly from memory and hope I haven't made any mistakes. I suggest you see the September-October 2001 issue of the GS&FRRHS Suwannee River Route Telegraph for a concise history of these two lumber roads. Also if you will send me an e-mail direct I can direct you to other sources of history on these roads. Merry Christmas! Russell Tedder

-- Russell Tedder (srtedder@arkansas.net), December 23, 2001.

Diesel Era ( I will have to look up the issue) had an article on the LOP&G. Title was something like from ten wheelers to SD40-2s. I has some good photos and maps. You may also want to check the Florida Archives on the net there are alot of railroad photos.

http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us

Bill

-- Bill Michael (bill.michael@juno.com), January 08, 2002.


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