Eastern Railroad Discussion > "Diamond(s) in the Rough"

Cordele, GA offers railfans three railroads crossing at grade, resulting in three diamonds, one of which appears to be an OWLS (HOG crossing NS).  Cordele also boasts an excellent viewing platform (with restrooms) and a railcam..

A busy north-south NS line crosses a busy east-west CSX line while the lightly-used Heart of Georgia (HOG) Railroad crosses both railroads ..... alll at grade.  Well here; see for yourself:

1.. Westbound CSX manifest moves through Cordele as rain moves in from the west on Sunday, March 17..
2.  A view from the train watching platform.
3.  A view of the platform itself.

(MUCH more to follow)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/27/24 11:52 by cinder.

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4. Frontal view of platform
5.  Side view with CSX intermodal passing
6.  Railcam

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7.  HOG crossing CSX diamond.
8.  HOG crossing CSX
9.  HOG crossing NS.  Is this the proverbial OWLS diamond?

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Yes on 9

Posted from iPhone

10.  CSX crossing NS
11.  CSX crossing NS 
12.  Dawn's early light .... The rain is gone.

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13.  Basking in the morning sun.
14.  Eastbound CSX iauto-rack with" glint"
15.  Video of second  CSX eastbound auto rack.  Note the swaying racks on the NS diamond.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/27/24 10:27 by cinder.

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Neat Series

What is the history of the Heart of Georgia Railroad?

kbmiflyer Wrote:

> What is the history of the Heart of Georgia Railroad?

Probably more than you wanted to know:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_Georgia_Railroad

The line through Cordele was once SAL's Savannah to Montgomery mainline.

mike woodruff
anacortes wa

16.  Video of westbound CSX manifest.
17.  Video of southbound NS intermodal

The "Virtual Railcam" is a great way to viirtually railfan.  Numerous crossings in all directions have train horns announcing approaches.  The railroad radio provides constant chatter.as well.

Yes, I trespassed to get closeups of the diamonds and thought the Cordele police would show up ..... but they didn't.  "Local" pedestrians crossed the tracks at will while I was there.  The bathrooms are kept clean by the Cordele DPW, but are locked at night.

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In my trip to Cordele, the downtown area near the station is not properous - vacant stores.  One block south from the station is a brewery place, serving decent tavern food.  We had a nice lunch.  In spite of itself, Cordele was friendly and safe.  

What's inside the brick bunker?   Restrooms?  Storage?   

The way-too-tall "brick bunker" contains two clean unisex restrooms for which you can "self identify".  There is also a storage room. 

I say way too tall because the height allows rain to blow in under the roof over the platform itself.  

Attached is still another video of a northbound NS train taken on March 17. The cold front rain is falling on my train parade.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/27/24 12:18 by cinder.

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Getting ready for my third visit to Cordele. 4 days this time, April 14th thru the 18th. Also staying 2 days in Folkston before, this part of the trip was added after a change in my plans to go all the way to Fla.

MdRailfan Wrote:
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> Getting ready for my third visit to Cordele. 4
> days this time, April 14th thru the 18th. Also
> staying 2 days in Folkston before, this part of
> the trip was added after a change in my plans to
> go all the way to Fla.

Let the locals know you are contributing to their economy.  They are less likely to vote to save money by closing down the bathrooms and/or rail platform.  I hope to go by there some day.

mapboy

Thank you for posting your video of the CSX auto train going over the diamonds. For me that is an enjoyable sound .

I stopped there there back in December. What was the silo tower thing on the west side of the diamonds?

We also ate at the place a block south and it was good. The rest of the town is economically depressed and could use all the tourist dollars they can get.

Posted from iPhone

Excellent coverage...wonderful camera work.  It;s interesting how the OWLS frogs soon begin showing a groove where the flanges of the "slow" line  cross the running rail of the "fast" line with no flange way.

We do indeed support the local businesses including that restaurant, I believe it's called "The Railhouse Tavern" and stay at The Best Western on 16th and I-75. As noted above the bathrooms are kept cleaned and locked at night, but the town employee who oversees this will leave them open and leave a key with a late railfanner to lock and put the key in a dropbox on the platform. I have done that both times I have been there so far.