Eastern Railroad Discussion > The Last Days With The H.O.G. Before GWi

First shot-  The HOG's Vidalia Turn continues it's eighty mile westward journey towards Cordele as it trots through the small rural town of Milan, Georgia on this former Seaboard Air Line route. The venerable 4215 leads this modern day "Razorback" in the last couple of weeks of independence for the Heart of Georgia as GWI has taken control of the carrier during February. There are quite a few changes coming in the following year to this shortline which has prospered since it's beginning. This section of the route laid dormant for nearly twenty years between Rochelle and Vidalia, Georgia until the HOG and Georgia Central began intermodal operations between Cordele and Savannah in late 2011.

2nd shot-   The Heart of Georgia's Vidalia Turn has just arrived at Cordele, Georgia after it's eighty mile trip from the Georgia Central connection in Vidalia as the lights of HOG GP40-2 6409 shines on their last moves in the early hours of March 17, 2017, the crew makes their runaround just prior to shoving their Razorbacks into the Inland Port.


I have more scenes I can share from the other night during the chase of the Vidalia Turn as time permits, but I figured I'd make a quick post with a suggestion to get to the HOG if you can before GWi gets their hands in too deep. This was a quick buyout. GWi operations will take shape from Vermont during April, the statement has been made that GWi will have 8 units repainted by the end of summer, that's pretty much their entire roster. I'm sure as with all GWi operations there will be engine swapping between properties. As a side note on their motive power. HOG GP30M 4215 would be the first of it's kind into GWi to get the orange dip if they keep it, it has got a new lease on life in the last couple of years since being transferred to Americus, Ga. The famed HOG blue & yellow will become a thing of the past pretty soon. Cordele just off i75 is a good place to be for the HOG, a 45 minute drive west to Americus will find you following the route. 
-djs
 

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Great night photo there DJS. Yup last time I was down to Cordele the CIS (Cordele Intermodal Services) was expanding their yard. I believe it was to include a track out of the yard to connect to the CSX. But have heard the connection didn't happen?   It was just cool to see a busy IM operation on a short line.

If you do manage a trip to Cordele there is an west bound “approach” fixed semaphore on the HOG just east of the depot that one might want to include in your photo collection. The last time I was there the bulb was burning.

Phil Maton
Villa Rica, GA



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/21/17 03:19 by NSSpike.

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Great night images. Both are first-rate photos.
Bob

Will the passenger excusrions be allowed to continue ?

The_Chief_Way Wrote:
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> Will the passenger excursions be allowed to
> continue ?

There hasn't been any official word just yet that I have heard, But I'd assume not. Being gwi is shutting down the successful P&W operation, I'm sure they'll cut the SAM excursion off in the future which is rather sad because it does make money. 

The HOG is a designated operator of the line that is actually owned by the State of Georgia.  The SAM was a one time sponsored by the State of Georgia being it actually ran trains to the Jimmy Carter Historic sites around Plains.  Maybe someone who knows more than me can say if this still exists and to what extent.  If my recollections are correct, GWI may have to support the operations to continue to run the line.  The inland port at Cordele has added significant traffic to the Georgia Central and HOG in the last few years.  Understand, that in South Georgia the idea of significant traffic may be an extra two dozen stack cars a couple times a week.  KIA announced Cordele as a key inland point for containers moving out of Savannah.  They historically ran them by truck out of Savannah or Fairburn via CSX.  Cordele is only a hop up to Macon, GA where the containers can roll all the way through Columbus, GA via the GA corridor Z where they can go north one hour to KIA in West Point, GA or west one hour to Hyundai on the southern side of Montgomery, AL.  Much money has been spent on this route over the past twenty years mainly to service Ft. Benning south of Columbus.  With the Benning expansion and KIA/Hyundai suppliers being based on containers to supply input materials, this is more icing on the cake for the GA DOT.  Atlanta is a headache to negotiate inside the 285 loop during any rush hour times.  This routing from Cordele positions containers for supplies in  West Georgia and Central and South Alabama.  If I remember, KIA expects to put 300,000 containers through the Cordele container port this year.  That is a very big number for a short spur, two side loaders and a lot of gravel...I expect that to change too.

H in AL

I did get some facts on the subject, gwi has to honor the excursion, sam shortline per the state although gwi doesn't want to. They don't have a choice in the matter. I really hate though that the HOG's former owners, Atlantic & Western caved and sold out. gwi isn't fond about the container business either so we've been told more than once and that became clear on the GC end, but again the state steps in, the state paid for the Inland Ports, so they run regardless what gwi thinks or wants.