GEORGIA NORTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY

SEE SOUTHERN RAILWAY SYSTEM
connects with-AN, CofGA, GASC, G&F and SCL
63 Miles from Boston, GA to Albany, GA.
Railroad Map

DIESEL ROSTER

Number	Mf'gr	Model	Date
172	BLW	DS-4-4-660	1947
801	EMD	SW8	1950

RAILROAD PAINT MIXES

All color mixes are based on PollyScale Acrylics paint numbers.
All bottle sizes are 1 fluid ounce size.
Capful refers to the cap on the bottle.
HK=Herald King decals for reference only these are no longer available.
MS=Microscale Decals
C=Custom made on Alps Printer

GEORGIA NORTHERN Red & white
Red-Milwaukee Maroon #414155
White-Reefer white #414113 add 1 #4 brushfull of engine black #414110
decals-use MS #87-70-8 dulux gold letters

HISTORY

The Georgia Northern was aquired by the Southern Railway in 1966. 
Also included were the affiliated Georgia, Ashburn, Sylvester & Camilla 
and Albany & Northern Railroads. All three roads operated with a motley 
collection of 70 Tonners, 2 FT's, a Baldwin switcher and an SW8 which all 
retained their paint schemes until 1969 when Southern retired all units 
except for the SW8. Motive power from the C of G and the Southern was  
pooled on the three railroads after that. In 1971 Southern formed the 
Georgia Northern Railway to operate the GN, GAS&C and A&N.
The SW8 did remain in the area until 1982 when it was retired. 
The Georgia Northern Railway ceased to exist as a subsidiary in 1994. 
Jim Shaw in Virginia has a large collection of photographs on these 
lines for sale. references: April 1969 Trains Magazine; The Short Line

Lamont Lea 

The just released edition (Ga/Fl/SC) of Steam Powered Video's Atlas shows 
the old Ga Northern's trackage gone from the interchange at Boston 
(ABC-ACL-CSX) up to Pavo. From Pavo to Albany the trackage is shown as 
still in place. (now Ga & Fl RR, although this route might possibly have 
recently changed hands.) Can someone locally confirm this ? All jointed 
rail I would assume. This route eventually came under Southern's influence, 
but of course the Southern absorbed the CG in the 1960's. 

Greg Hodges 

Route & Interchanges of the Georgia Northern Ry Boston (interchange w/ ACL), 
Oaklawn, Barwick, Pavo, Autreyville, Moultrie (interchange w/ ACL, G&F), 
Doerun, Pritchetts, Bridgeboro (interchange w/ GAS&C), Gantts, Pecan City, 
Dosaga, USMC Depot (Dougherty Co), Turner AFB Albany (interchange with
Albany & Northern, ACL, SAL)  Founded by Mr. James Nelson Pidcock, Sr. 
A peach grower from Whitehouse, NJ. Mr. Pidcock served as president of 
the Rockaway Valley RR of New Jersey RR that was chartered March 29,1888 
of which he served as president. In 1892, Pidcock visited his son, 
Charles, in Brooks County, GA and subsequently moved to south Georgia. 
In late that same year Pidcock began his timber operation with his four
sons Charles, James Jr., John and Frank. Originally the citizens of 
Boston, GA had acquired a charter for a railroad to connect Boston 
through Moultrie to Albany. The company was to be the Boston & Albany (B&A). 
The B&A acquired the right of way and grading done but, went into 
receivership before track was laid. The B&A was offered for sale 
October 3, 1894. The Pidcock family purchased the B&A November 22, 1894 
and changed the name on the charter to the Georgia Northern to reflect 
a new company and include the 31 miles of track the Pidcocks had to 
their timber. By the end of 1894, the Georgia Northern reached Doerun, 
GA with 42 miles of track. In 1901, the rails extended north 65 miles 
to the outskirts of Albany, GA. In 1905, the Georgia Northern built a 
steel bridge across the Flint River. I believe this is the same bridge 
in use today by the Atlantic & Gulf Ry. After the completion of the 
bridge the Georgia Northern entered a joint agreement with the Albany 
Northern for certain facilities in Albany. Afterwhich the Georgia Northern 
made connection to Albany. Much of this was extracted form the Les Winn 
book Ghost Trains and Depots of Georgia which has a lot more. 
The Moultrie Library has this book in the Ellen Odum room or purchased 
from Big Shanty Publishing PO Box 80641 Chamblee, GA 30366  
The Moultrie Library also has an out of print book Frank Pidcock 
wrote about the Georgia Northern Ry with rare photos. I do not think the 
Georgia Northern and Central of Georgia ever merged. I am almost certain 
the Georgia Northern was independent of the Central of Georgia and it 
was the Southern Ry that did acquire the Georgia Northern in the late 1960s. 

David Godwin 

Another interesting site to visit is  Albany, Ga.
		
© S.A. McCall