Reprinted from The Right Way Magazine, Volume 51, No. 5
The newest and largest of the Central’s railroad subsidiaries is the Savannah and Atlanta Railway Company.
The oldest part of the railroad began as the Brinson Railway. The company began construction in 1906 of the line from Savannah to Springfield, and was opened for traffic in 1907. In 1909, the line was extended to Newington, 19 miles away, and connected with the Savannah Valley Railroad operating between Egypt and Millhaven. The Savannah Valley Railroad from Egypt to Newington was later abandoned, leaving the 28-mile stretch from Newington to Millhaven.
In 1911, the road was constructed on to Waynesboro, and in 1913, a 12-mile extension was made to St. Clair. The line was later changed to run through Torbit.
Between 1910 and 1914, the name was changed to the Brinson Railway Company (June 2, 1910) and Savannah and Northwestern Railway (March 25, 1914).
In 1910, the Brinson had been bought by the Imbrie Company in New York. In 1915, the railroad extended from Savannah to St. Clair, and in order to complete a route to Atlanta (connecting with the Georgia Railroad), the Imbrie Company chartered the Savannah and Atlanta to build a line from St. Clair to Camak Junction, a distance of 33 miles.
On July 16, 1917, the Savannah and Atlanta bought the Savannah and Northwestern, and thereafter the entire line of 141 miles became the Savannah and Atlanta.
In 1921, the line was thrown into receivership, and in 1929 was bought by Robert M. Nelson. Mr. Nelson sold it to the Central in 1951 for $3,500,000.
Central of Georgia and Savannah and Atlanta’s Joint Operations West of Savannah
On Feb. 9, 1961, authority was granted the Central and its subsidiary S&A Railway, for joint operations of two segments of track—one between Central Junction (just west of Savannah) and Ardmore, Ga., and the other between Oliver and Waynesboro, Ga.
The plan called for the abandonment of Central trackage from a point 1 ½ miles west of Central Junction to Oliver, and for the abandonment of S&A trackage between Sylvania and Waynesboro; and for the handling of both Central and S&A trains from Central Junction to Ardmore over S&A tracks. With tracks of the S&A abandoned Sylvania to Waynesboro, the S&A trains to operate over Central’s tracks Ardmore to Waynesboro, and service to and from industries located on the S&A line between Ardmore and Sylvania to be maintained.
To connect Ardmore, on the S&A, with Central’s line cast of Oliver, a new track a little over four miles long was constructed commencing on Central’s main line at Mile Post 44.7 near Oliver, to a point on the S&A’s main line at Mile Post 36.5 near Ardmore. The joint operations as authorized commenced Sept. 1, 1962.