Railfanning in Northwest Georgia
Northwest Georgia is a virtual paradise of sorts for rail watchers. Many rail lines run through the area, with the Western & Atlantic Subdivision (owned by the state of Georgia, leased by CSX), being the major rail line. It runs north to south from Chattanooga to Atlanta. Norfolk Southern is also a major player in the northwest, though not as visible as CSX. Several short lines branch off from the major lines to serve local industries in their respective towns, including the Chatooga & Chickamauga railway. There are even two tourist railroads in the area, the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, and the Stone Mountain Railway. You can expect to see plenty of trains, industry activity, mountains, bridges, curves,and great scenery and locations to take photos.
Out of the whole of the northwest corner of the state, there are four counties that should be of particular interest:
Bartow County
Allatoona Crossing - Fill and bridge crossing of Lake Allatoona. Plenty of camping nearby if you want to make a weekend out of this location.
Emerson - Plenty of grades, passing track, fills, and mountains for excitement. There is also a double track section that bridges I-75 in a wide curve.
Etowah River - High fills culminate in a spectacular bridge over the Etowah River. Piers from the old 1850's alignment can be seen in the background. A talking hot box detector is located nearby, so bring your scanner.
Junta - Pronounced "Youn-ta". Though not much to look at, this is a major rail junction. From here, the Western & Atlantic splits off to the nortwest towards Chattanooga. The other line runs northeast towards Ocoee, Etowah, and ultimately, Knoxville, TN. If you want to take this particular line, Highway 411 runs parallel to the tracks for the entire length, making for some great pacing and photo ops!
Just north of Junta, the CSX line cuts off to the west towards Plant Bowen. Between four and six trainloads of coal make their way to the plant each day.
CAUTION: Junta Junction is not exactly located in a ritzy part of town. Extra precautions should be effected to keep from being accosted by the locals.
Kingston - Not much more than a post office and some convenience stores, this town is built along the entire length of a passing siding. The town park is right next to the rails, and is a perfect spot to set up for some photo ops of passing and parked trains.
Hall Station - Hall Station road closely parallels the tracks for about 10 miles, with plenty of side and service road access.
Adairsville - Site of a railroad history museum, and the Great Locomotive Chase Festival (October).
Gordon County
Gordon County actually supports three rail lines. In the west, Norfolk Southern runs a line from Plainville to Hill City. In the center, the Western & Atlantic (leased by CSX) runs from Lily Pond to Tilton. And in the east, the Junta to Knoxville line runs from Fairmount to Carter's Lake.
Calhoun - Restored downtown depot, plenty of public access areas to get you close to the action. Local switchers are stationed here with six major industries to service.
Resaca - At almost the halfway point between Atlanta and Chattanooga, trains meet and pass here on a two mile long passing track. The WA crosses the Oostanaula river on a bridge that parallels Highway 41. Awesome photo ops here.
Whitfield County
Dalton - CSX and NS railroads meet and run parallel to each other for about eight miles through the city. South of Dalton, each railroad operates two large bulk transfer yards that support the omnipresent carpet industry in the city. In the very center of Dalton is where the crossover diamond is located. However, direct access to the diamond is limited by a freight car interchange on one side, and the NS freight depot on the other side.
CAUTION: Recent events in the Dalton area suggests an increase in gang activity, especially around the Abutment Road area. Extreme caution should be used when railfanning in this area, and if suspicious activity is observed, you should leave the area immediately and contact local law enforcement.
Tunnel Hill - Access to the current bore is difficult, but the old bore in now a limited access walking path. There is also a passing siding that runs to the west side of the tunnel.
Catoosa County
Ringgold - Nice park area next to the tracks make for some great photo ops. Tracks are rail-on-concrete ties from here north to Chattanooga. About five miles to the east of the city is a marker citing where dem' dang' yankees was caught after dey stode da General way back n' 1862!
In addition to these northwest Georgia sites, Chattanooga is a major railhub for Norfolk Southern. The city is more accessible to rail than Atlanta; you could even call it "rail friendly". Signs on the highway point to rail-fan friendly sites. Riverside Park, just below TVA's Chickamauga Dam, is an awesome site to view and photo trains. The bridge across the Tennessee River is 1,812 feet long, and has a lift section on the north side to clear barge traffic coming in and out of the locks. DeButts Yard is located in the city, but rail fan beware; this place is locked up tighter than the Atlanta Federal Pen. You can get some photos from three bridges that cross the yard, but otherwise, you are fenced out. The signs on the gate read no tresspassing, no photos, no videos, go away period! Security is also pretty heavy, with several patrols passing pretty close during my photo stint.
Track Access
Western & Atlantic (CSX) - Interstate 75 parallels the railroad from Marietta to Ringgold, making for quick access from place to place. Highway 41 follows the line even more closely, most of the time within site distance. There are plenty of service roads and backroads that branch off of 41 and lead to the tracks.
At Ringgold, the tracks turn east and move away from the main highways back into the mountains. You can still get access to the line all the way to Chattanooga, but you better have a map and a good sense of direciton.
CSX, Junta to Knoxville - Highway 411 closely follows this line all the way to Knoxville. There are several highlights to be seen along this line, including several truss bridges and a large crossing over the Tennessee River.
Norfolk Southern - While the state of Georgia bought up the good land when they built the W&A, Southern Railway got left holding a bag of cats. The NS line between Atlanta and Chattanooga runs mostly through the backwoods in the western part of the state. There are few industries and not much access to the tracks. Still, there are a few good areas to view NS trains. Rome has lots of trackage, with several spur lines leading to the massive Inland Container plant on the south side of town. Other areas to see NS are Plainville, Hill City, and Dalton.