Re: The Gainesville Midland and Her Sister Short Lines

Chapter 17
GM Standard Gauge Equipment Roster

The caboose chart was generated from bill of sale of GM to SAL dated
May 31, 1958. It was confirmed and/or expanded by information from several
sources including Hugh Cain and Robert H. Hanson ("The Gainesville Midland -
The Railroad Seaboard Bought for Chicken Feed", Lines South [4th quarter 2003]
article).
The passenger chart used also used the same GM/SAL bill of sale and the
examination of the last narrow gauge train photo in 1976 and input from Hugh
Cain.
The freight car and MOW chart was based on the same GM/SAL bill of
sale and some PSC reports.
The records of some used equipment dealers such as Georgia Car and
Locomotive and Southern Iron & Equipment include used non-powered rolling
stock. These were used to help construct these meager charts.
I found some interesting data on the GM, G&NW and Monroe railroads about
their equipment contents from 1910 to 1952 while I was reviewing some old
research notes. I have included them here.
Additional information was located in the Official Railway Equipment Guides
from John Hensley.
In the GM exhibit A (SAL purchase), there were two cabooses listed - steel
underframe and superstructure underframe. I believe these to be 307 and 308.

No passenger cars listed in the 1943 ORER.
Passenger Cars
# Type Remarks
20 22 Coaches from ICC 1917 valuation -capacity 54
passengers; wood
25 body and underframe; Bought second hand. In Official
Railway
Equipment Guide for 1911, 1919, 1922, 1928.
21 Coaches from ICC 1917 valuation -capacity 54 passengers;
wood body and
underframe; Bought second hand. In Official Railway
Equipment
Guide for 1911, 1919, 1922, 1928, 1934.
23 Coach - Baggage Combine
from ICC 1917 valuation -capacity 44 passengers; wood
body and
underframe; Bought second hand 1913. In Official Railway

Equipment Guide for 1911, 1919, 1922, 1928, 1934.
24 26 Coach - Baggage - Mail Combine
from ICC 1917 valuation -capacity 18 passengers; wood
body and
underframe; Bought second hand 1913. In Official Railway

Equipment Guide for 1911, 1919, 1922, 1928.
27 Coach from ICC 1917 valuation -capacity 54 passengers; wood
body and underframe; Bought second hand. In Official
Railway
Equipment Guide for 1911, 1919 as coach.
27 Baggage - Mail - Express Combine
Converted by and listed as combine in 1922 and 1928
ORER.
100 coach Bought from Ga. Car & Locomotive in [1910] as # 100.
# Type Remarks
101 coach Chicago Great Western Railroad #?
GC&L []
GM #101 [1912]
102 coach CGW #74
GC&L []
GM #102 [2-1913]
103 combine CGW # 57
GC&L []
GM #103 [2-1913]

Three cabooses listed in the 1943 ORER.
Cabooses
# Remarks
100 112 from ICC 1917 valuation - wood body and underframe.
Bought second
hand and rebuilt. In Official Railway Equipment Guide for 1919.
300 301 from ICC 1917 valuation - wood body and underframe.
Bought second
hand and rebuilt. In Official Railway Equipment Guide for 1919.
302 Eight-wheeled, side door, with large centered cupola. Probably
destroyed
in Great Tornado of 1936
303 Eight-wheeled, side door, with regular sized cupola.
304 Eight-wheeled, centered cupola
305 Unknown description
306 Eight-wheeled, end cupola, possibly former NYC. Destroyed in
early to
mid 50's in Gainesville
307 Eight-wheeled, centered cupola, former DL&W cab. Sold to
Norfleet
Johnson in Mid to late 60's. Used as a guest cottage at residence
off
Riverside Dr.
308 eight-wheeled, centered cupola, former DL&W cab, scrapped in
Gainesville in early to mid 1960's
Note: cabooses 100,113,300,301 are listed in the 1919 equipment
guide with the same dimensions and capacities as the 100 series box
cars. These may have been converted. 34'x9'9"x11'9" 25 ton capacity





Three misc. cars listed in the 1943 ORER.
Maintenance of Way (MOW)
# Type Remarks
114 camp car
Purchased 1915. Listed also in 1919 and 1933.
B1 Camp - Box cars
from ICC 1917 valuation - capacity 40,000 lbs. wood
body and
underframe. Bought second hand 1906. In Official Railway

Equipment Guide for 1936.
B2 B3 Camp - Box cars
103 114 from ICC 1917 valuation - capacity 40,000 lbs.
wood body and
underframe. Bought second hand 1906.
104 Hand derrick car from ICC 1917 valuation - 50,000 lbs.
wood body and
underframe. Bought second hand 1906.
112 Work car
In Official Railway Equipment Guide for 1928.

Three box cars are listed in the 1943 ORER.

freight
# Type Remarks
7 Box car from Charles B. Gillespie, MD photo of Braselton
fertilizer mill.
Probably a GM box car.
100 tank capacity 10,000 gal Heater coils, 50 ton - Listed in GM
exhibit A
for SAL purchase
100 series box car 34'x9'9"x11'9" side door 5'10"x6'10" end door
1'7"x11"
25 ton capacity
101 Box car from ICC 1917 valuation. Good body and
underframe. Second
hand.
103 Official Railway Equipment Guide - Nov 1919, 1922
107 Box car from ICC 1917 valuation. Good body and
underframe. Second
hand. Official Railway Equipment Guide - Nov 1919,
1922
108 Box car from ICC 1917 valuation. Good body and
underframe. Second
hand. Official Railway Equipment Guide - Nov 1919,
1922, 1928
110 Box car from ICC 1917 valuation Good body and
underframe. Second
hand.
112 Box car Official Railway Equipment Guide - 1922
200 series box car 37'x9'7"x12'6" side door 6'x7'7" 30 ton capacity
from
ICC 1917 valuation - Kelly Loco. & Machine Works,
1914; Good
body and underframe.
200-220 Box car Official Railway Equipment Guide - Nov
1919, 1922, only 12
exist in 1928 (219 and 220 known to be off of roster). No
box cars
listed in 1936.
200 series flat car 36'10"x9'9" 30 ton capacity may have been
converted
from box cars with same numbers
209-213 flat car Official Railway Equipment Guide - 1936
?? box car Official Railway Equipment Guide - 1943 - three listed -
no
numbers may be 301-303
301 302 303 Box car 80,000 cap, steel underframe and
steel superstructure
frame - wood sheathing - Listed in GM exhibit A for SAL
purchase
Photos of box cars #301- #303 suggest that they were
ventilated
box cars with double wood sheathing. Photos of box car
#301
seem to imply that she lost her ventilated door at one point.
308 312 Flat car work cars, steel underframe and steel
superstructure, 40 ton -
Listed in GM exhibit A for SAL purchase
500 504 Flat car from ICC 1917 valuation - capacity 50,000 lbs.
Good underframe.
Second hand 1906.
500 series flat car 30 ton 34'x9'x7'5.5" above rail
502 In Official Railway Equipment Guide for 1919.
503 In Official Railway Equipment Guide for 1919, 1922.
504 In Official Railway Equipment Guide for 1919, 1922.
600 Gondola Car
from ICC 1917 valuation - G. C. & L. 1906; capacity
60,000 lbs.
In Official Railway Equipment Guide for 1919.
Good underframe. 30 ton 34'x8'8"
600 series flat car 30 ton 34'x9'9" above rail
601 602 Flat car from ICC 1917 valuation - G. C. & L. 1906;
capacity 60,000 lbs.
Good underframe. In Official Railway Equipment Guide for
1919,
1922.

Distribution of locomotives and passenger equipment per year on the
Gainesville Midland.
publish date of Poor's or Moody's shown usually listed as of June 30 the prior year
ORER - Official Railway Equipment Register
date reference gauge locomotives coaches combine baggage gas motor cars
1910 Poor's both 6 12
1911 56.5" 4 4 2
36" 3 8
1912 Poor's 56.5" 3 4
36" 3 8
1914 Poor's 56.5" 3 4
36" 3 8
1917 Poor's 56.5" 7 6 2
1918 Poor's 56.5" 7 6 2
1919 ORER 56.5" 6 5 3
1920 Poor's 56.5" 6 6 2
1922 ORER 56.5" 6 4 4
1925 Poor's 56.5" 6 8
1925 Moody's 56.5" 6 4
1926 Poor's 56.5" 6 9
1926 Moody's 56.5" 6 9
1928 Moody's 56.5" 6 9
1928 ORER 56.5" 6 4 4
1929 Moody's 56.5" 5 3
1930 Moody's 56.5" 5 3
1931 Moody's 56.5" 4 3
1932 Moody's 56.5" 4 3
1933 Moody's 56.5" 4 3
1935 Moody's 56.5" 4 3
1936 Moody's 56.5" 5 6
1936 ORER 56.5" 4 1 2
1937 Poor's 56.5" 4 2
1937 Moody's 56.5" 4 1
1939 Moody's 56.5" 4 1 3
1940 Moody's 56.5" 4 1 3
1941 Moody's 56.5" 4 3 3
1943 Moody's 56.5" 5 4 4
1943 ORER 56.5" 5 3
1944 Moody's 56.5" 4 5 5
1946 Moody's 56.5" 5
1948 Moody's 56.5" 5
1949 Moody's 56.5" 6
1950 Moody's 56.5" 6
1951 Moody's 56.5" 6
1952 Moody's 56.5" 7
May 1958
inventory 56.5" 7

Distribution of freight equipment per year on the Gainesville Midland
publish date of Poor's or Moody's shown usually listed as of June 30
the prior year
ORER - Official Railway Equipment Register
date reference gauge box stock flat coal tank caboose misc other service
frt
1910 Poor's both 66 2 11 9 18
1911 Poor's 56.5" 15 3 5
36" 50 2 3 5
1912 Poor's 56.5" 16 8
Poor's 36" 50 2 3
both 13 5
1914 Poor's 56.5" 16 8 9
36" 50 2 3 5
both 13 5
1915 Poor's 56.5" 8
36" 3
1917 Poor's 56.5" 23 2 4 1 7 2
1918 Poor's 56.5" 23 5 1 5 7
1919 ORER 56.5" 23 5 1 4
1920 Poor's 56.5" 23 5 1 5 7
1922 Poor's 56.5" 24 4
1925 ORER 56.5" 21 1 2 3
1925 Moody's 56.5" 24 4
1926 Poor's 56.5" 21 2 4
1926 Moody's 56.5" 23 4
1928 Moody's 56.5" 15 4
1928 ORER 56.5" 13 1
1929 Moody's 56.5" 10 4
1930 Moody's 56.5" 10 4
1931 Moody's 56.5" 5
1932 Moody's 56.5" 5
1933 Moody's 56.5" 3
1935 Moody's 56.5" 3
1936 Moody's 56.5" 3
1936 ORER 56.5" 5 1
1937 Poor's 56.5" 4 3
1937 Moody's 56.5" 3 5 2
1939 Moody's 56.5" 3 5 2
1940 Moody's 56.5" 3 5 2
1941 Moody's 56.5" 3 4 3 3
1943 Moody's 56.5" 3 2 3 3
1943 ORER 56.5" 3 3 3
1944 Moody's 56.5" 3 2 3 3
1946 Moody's 56.5"
1948 Moody's 56.5" 3 2 3 3
1949 Moody's 56.5" 3 2 3 3
1950 Moody's 56.5" 3 2 3 3
1951 Moody's 56.5" 3 2 3 3
1952 Moody's 56.5" 3 3 7 2
May inventory 56.5" 3 2 1 2 1
1958 the service car is a
baggage car

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A Gainesville Midland coach at Gainesville, Georgia.1956. From the collection of
C. K. Marsh Jr.

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Gainesville Midland caboose #306 in Gainesville, Georgia. 1956. photo by Aubry
Motz. From the collection of C. K. Marsh Jr.

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Gainesville Midland caboose #307 in Gainesville, Georgia. 1960. Photo by T. G.
King. From the collection of C. K. Marsh Jr.

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Gainesville Midland caboose #308 behind loco #301 in Gainesville, Georgia.
1958. Photo by T. G. King. From the collection of C. K. Marsh Jr.

Chapter 18
The Seaboard/CSXT Ownership
(1959-date)

Since the GM-SAL relationship was close, it was not unexpected when
the SAL bought the GM on June 22, 1959 for $550,000. The Seaboard immediately
retired all steam engines and dieselized the line.
Initially, SAL used RSC2s for motive power on the former GM line. Many
of the employees from the GM were kept on.
As mentioned in the chapter on the Gainesville Midland Railway (1934-
1959), the PSC changed their reporting form prior to Seaboard/CSX ownership.
Due to this, there is little information on the GM under Seaboard ownership that
can be found in the reports.
It was reported in 1959 that the purchase by SAL had been completed.
Rail size was of 132, 85, 75 and 56 pound section. All steam locomotives had been
retired. The 11 remaining pieces of rolling stock were:

box car - 3
flat - 3
tank - 1
caboose - 2
service - 2

In 1960, all box cars were retired and the Athens Terminal Company still
showed up as 50% owned by GM and 50% owned by Seaboard. However, GM
was 100% owned by Seaboard also.
The last PSC report from the Seaboard era I checked was 1964 when three
flat cars, one caboose and two service cars were retired. This left one tank car
and one caboose on the GM roster.
SAL merged with Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1967 (nearly a decade
after merger talks were announced) to form Seaboard Coast Line Railroad.
When I visited the GM station in 1976, it was still in use by Seaboard as a
freight agent office. This includes Mr. Joe A. Glosson, Trainmaster, GM Railroad
and his assistant Mrs. Grace Autry. The old passenger station had offices for
both the GM and SAL. Mr. Glosson had responsibility to look after shippers on
the GM and on what was jokingly called the "branch". This was the SCL (ex-
SAL) line from Athens to Winder.
By examining photographs and having corresponded with several people
about the Gainesville Midland, I have determined that several Seaboard
locomotives were assigned to the GM over the years to assist GM 10.

Seaboard Air Line:

1534 RSC3 (September 1959)
1540 RSC3 (June 1959)

Seaboard Cost Line:

503 (October 6, 1978)
537 (October 6, 1978)
551 GP38-2 (1975 and October 1976)
553 GP38-2 (Spring 1976)
555 GP38-2 (1975)
762 GP7 (October 1976)
1321 GP30 (1971)
1341 GP30 (1971)
1409 GP35 (1972)

In a post by Gary Wright to the SCL modelers group, I found out that GM
10 was in an accident. In his words:

While on the subject of the Gainesville Midland does anyone know the
date (even if approximate - which could be the month/year or just the year) that
GM's # 10 met with the fateful head-on collision that resulted in her low nose
being replaced?
There is a very definite indication by photos as to when the pre/post
collision era was. Pre-collision the low short hood was painted with orange
pinstripes around the yellow SAL main stripes and the pilot was equipped with
a snow plow.
After the accident the shops in Hamlet repaired or replaced altogether
the short hood. They painted the "yellow" (although it looked more like chalky
yellow-white) on the nose but they didn't include the orange pinstripes giving
it an odd "oversized" look. The paint on the remainder of the low hood was
considerably darker than the rest of the unit - maybe it was remains of SAL
"Pullman green" that still existed at Hamlet, or maybe since it was fresh it
obviously hadn't weathered as the rest of the unit - but it was still very much
darker than what I though SAL green was.
The pilot plate was replaced without the snow plow.
The story behind the head-on was that the crew went "on the law" (that
is reached their maximum allowed 12 hours on duty) just a few miles east of
Gainesville at the foot and around the curve from one of the steepest grades on
the entire GM. They tied the train up on the single track mainline and were
transported back to Gainesville via taxi.
Not wanting to leave the entire train where it was unprotected, the GM
management sent for the train by calling a crew unfamiliar with the territory.
They went down the grade at a rather good clip with a light engine movement
and rounded the curve and THERE SHE WAS! The GM 10 and train - there was
no way to stop short so the inevitable happened and GM 10 was sent to the
"hospital" in Hamlet for some metal surgery and she returned to Gainesville
having never looked quite the same again.
I hope someone more familiar with the story than I could fill in the gaps.
But at this point I'd just like to know either the exact date when this happened
or an approximate (month/year or just the year).

Seaboard Coast Line Industries and Chessie System (C&O/B&O) merged
in 1980 to form CSX Corporation. In 1982, GM lost its separate identity.
When I looked at the line in 1976, I was able to follow the present
operating line with ease because roads follow it very well. The Jefferson station
is not on the rail line, instead, it sits at what once was the old end of the GJ&S. It
sits behind the court house in Jefferson. I thank Mrs. Grace Autry for telling me
the location of the station because it is somewhat hard to find. When I found the
Sanborn Fire Insurance maps, I discovered that the original Jefferson station was
near the Courthouse for convenience and that when the branch to Athens was
made, it bypassed the station leaving it on a track stub that could be serviced by
a train backing in and pulling out.


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These two photos are of GM #10 in Gainesville in 1970. Photos by
David Price.

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I took this photo of GM #10 and Seaboard 553 in Gainesville in 1976.

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In 1976, I found an Atlanta & West Point Railroad box car on the
Gainesville Midland.

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Gainesville Midland and Southern Railroad in North Holland in 1976.
To the back of the photographer is the textile mill in New Holland. The
track on the left to the freight cars is the track to Southern Railroad. The
turnout in the foreground is set for the Gainesville Midland to downtown
Gainesville. In 2001, these tracks were covered with dirt, weeds, and
had trees about 6-8 inches in diameter growing in them. Photo by
author.

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Maintenance storage for the GM in 1976. Photo by author.

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Gainesville Midland #10, an SD-40, at Hamlet, NC in 1966. GM 10
was on the way to the Midland from the main shops of Seaboard
(owner of GM at the time). Photo by W. M. Bryan. From the collection
of C. K. Marsh Jr.

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GM 10 at Gainesville, Ga in 1966. Photo by T. Q. King. From the
collection of C. K. Marsh Jr.

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GM 10 at Gainesville, Ga in 1976. Photo by Tom Sink. From the
collection of C. K. Marsh Jr.

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I took these two photos in 1976. Unfortunately I have lost the captions
saying where they were taken. I suspect they are of the Monroe to
Social Circle rail line. In 1976 this was the Georgia Railroad Branch to
Monroe. It is now the Great Walton Railroad.


Chapter 19

Final thoughts

The history of the railroads and Gainesville can not be concluded without
mention of yet another railroad.
The East and West Railroad of Alabama was started in 1868 as the
Cartersville and Van Wert Railroad. It was to build a 5' gauge line from from
Cartersville to Prior, GA near the Alabama line. In 1871, track was laid from
Cartersville to Taylorsville (14 miles). Due to political problems from the Governor
Bullock administration (which backed the railroad), it was reorganized as the
Cherokee Railroad and an extension to Rockmart was built as 36" gauge (9 miles
of narrow gauge and the second narrow gauge railroad in the south) in
November 1871.
After a bankruptcy, it was purchased by the Cherokee Iron Company and
extended 13 miles to Cedartown in 1879. The 5' gauge was narrowed to 3' in
October 1880. In 1890, the railroad was standard gauged.
In 1881, the East and West Railroad of Alabama was formed to build from
Birmingham to the Cherokee Railroad. It was to have connected Gainesville, GA
with Birmingham, AL as a northern by-pass of Atlanta. History records the 3'
gauge line never made it closer to Birmingham than Pell City, AL (35 miles). If the
narrow gauge had entered Birmingham, the road could very well have extended
to the GJ&S and interchanged with the Marietta & North Georgia narrow gauge
railroad. Gainesville would have been a greater railroad hub.
One other interesting item is that if the East and West of Alabama had
been extended to Gainesville as narrow gauge and it had been extended into
Birmingham also, the GJ&S and the E&WRofA would have connected about half
a dozen or so different narrow gauge railroads into a network totaling somewhere
around 350-400 miles of narrow gauge track tying Gainesville, Knoxville,
Birmingham and Marietta together. The G&NW then might have been built as
narrow gauge also. An interesting speculation.

All the railroads mentioned here performed their duties well for their
owners (recalling David Price's words about the G&NW).
The G&NW performed its job hauling lumber products from Helen -
Robertstown to the connection at Gainesville very admirably.
The Chestatee and Gainesville Midland worked well under the ownership
of George Johnson Baldwin to provide a source of transportation competition for
his Chestatee Pyrites Company.
After the 1939 purchase of the GM, Forrest Greene had both the
Gainesville Midland and Greene County Railroads and his Georgia Car &
Locomotive operation. The three apparently worked well together.
Both the Georgia Car & Locomotive and the Southern Iron & Equipment
operations's records showed a marked drop off in transactions during the mid-
1950's. This was more than likely due to the conversion from steam locomotives
to diesel locomotives by both large and small railroads. This caused the used
steam locomotive market to disappear.