Albany and Northern Railway
Encyclopedia
The Albany and Northern Railway (A&N) began life in about 1895 on a 35 miles (56.3 km) stretch of railway from Cordele
to Albany, Georgia
. The line had originally been built around 1890 by the Albany, Florida and Northern Railway
(AF&N). The AF&N was leased then to the Savannah, Americus and Montgomery Railway
(SA&M) in 1892. In 1895, the SA&M went bankrupt and the AF&N was then reorganized into the Albany and Northern Railway.
In 1910, the Georgia, Southwestern and Gulf Railroad
(GS&G) leased the A&N with the goal of opening a line from Cordele to the Gulf Coast. The GS&G ran into financial trouble and was dissolved in 1942 at which time the A&N ran independently again. The Southern Railway
acquired the A&N and Georgia Northern Railway
in 1966, and merged the former into the latter on December 31, 1971.
Cordele, Georgia
Cordele, also known as The Watermelon Capital of the World, is a city in Crisp County, Georgia, United States. The population was 11,608 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Crisp County...
to Albany, Georgia
Albany, Georgia
Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
. The line had originally been built around 1890 by the Albany, Florida and Northern Railway
Albany, Florida and Northern Railway
The Albany, Florida and Northern Railway was chartered in 1889 and built a railway between Albany and Cordele, Georgia, beginning operation in 1891. The following year the line was leased to the Savannah, Americus and Montgomery Railway , who was responsible for obtaining the charter to begin with...
(AF&N). The AF&N was leased then to the Savannah, Americus and Montgomery Railway
Savannah, Americus and Montgomery Railway
The Savannah, Americus and Montgomery Railway was a historic narrow gauge railroad located in the U.S. states of Georgia and Alabama.It was founded in 1888 to take over operations from the Americus, Preston and Lumpkin Railroad which ran from Louvale to Abbeville...
(SA&M) in 1892. In 1895, the SA&M went bankrupt and the AF&N was then reorganized into the Albany and Northern Railway.
In 1910, the Georgia, Southwestern and Gulf Railroad
Georgia, Southwestern and Gulf Railroad
The Georgia Southwestern and Gulf Railroad was incorporated in 1906 and began operations in 1910 on about of track leased from the Albany and Northern Railway between Cordele and Albany, Georgia, USA. The GS&G was purchased by the Georgia Northern Railway in 1939, and in 1942 operations were...
(GS&G) leased the A&N with the goal of opening a line from Cordele to the Gulf Coast. The GS&G ran into financial trouble and was dissolved in 1942 at which time the A&N ran independently again. The Southern Railway
Southern Railway (US)
The Southern Railway is a former United States railroad. It was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined beginning in the 1830s, formally becoming the Southern Railway in 1894...
acquired the A&N and Georgia Northern Railway
Georgia Northern Railway
The Boston and Albany Railroad was chartered in 1891 to build a rail line from Boston to Albany, Georgia, United States. After two years, very little progress had been made and the railroad was purchased by the Pidcock Family who had founded a private logging railroad in the early 1890s that ran...
in 1966, and merged the former into the latter on December 31, 1971.