Reprinted from The Right Way Magazine, Volume 51, No. 5
The North and South Railroad was chartered Oct. 24, 1870, and lasted only nine years. After having been sold by the governor of Georgia on April 23, 1878, it was reorganized Sept. 3, 1879, as the Columbus and Rome Railroad Company and its name was officially changed in 1882.
Although short in history, the North and South began an important segment of the Central system, the line from Columbus to Raymond, Ga. This line was constructed as far as Hamilton between 1870 and 1874. The nine miles between Hamilton and Chipley (now known as Pine Mountain) was built between 1877 and 1884, and snakes its way around one of the biggest obstacles on the line, Pine Mountain.
As was the track from Hamilton to Chipley, the Columbus and Rome Railway constructed the line from Chipley to Greenville. This portion was 16.75 miles and was completed in 1885.
The Columbus and Rome was merged with the Savannah and Western Railroad Company in 1888 and conveyed to the Central of Georgia Dec. 2, 1895. The line was completed only to Greenville at this time.
The 23 miles from Greenville to Raymond were completed by the Central in 1905–1906. Another railroad, the Greenville Railway Company, chartered May 20, 1905, was organized to construct the line, but after only three months, was sold to the Central.
Narrow Gauge
The line from Columbus to Greenville was constructed as a narrow gauge railroad; however, when the Central extended the line to Raymond in 1905–06, the gauge was changed to standard measurement.