Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railway
Encyclopedia
The Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railroad was created through a reorganization of the Chattanooga Southern Railway
in 1911. A few years later, in 1922, the line's name was changed to the Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railway and was also known as the TAG Route. The TAG ran from Chattanooga, Tennessee
, through northwest Georgia
, and into Gadsden, Alabama
. The trackage began at Milepost 1 in Alton Park (Chattanooga) and continued southwest to the southern terminus in Gadsden, some 91.7 miles distant.
During the 1960's the railroad was owned by Mose and Garrison Siskin who owned the Siskin Steel Company in Chattanooga. They used the railroad to move steel products between Siskin Steel and Republic Steel in Gadsden. This made the TAG the only profitable short line railroad in the US during that period.
The TAG was purchased by the Southern Railway
in 1971. The northernmost 23 miles ending at Kensington, Georgia
were operated by the Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway
until the Dow Chemical plant in Kensington closed in September of 2009. Norfolk Southern began dismantling sections of the segment in March 2010.
Nearly all remnants of the line south of Kensington point are gone, except for the Pigeon Mountain Tunnel just south of Kensington and the pilings of the Yellow Creek Bridge near Leesburg, Alabama
, on Lake Weiss. The steel bridge that crossed Yellow Creek now rests at the former location of the Gadsden terminal. The company still exists as a subsidiary of Norfolk Southern.
TAG Railway Tunnel at Pigeon Mountain
Chattanooga Southern Railway
The Chattanooga Southern Railway was founded in 1887 and began operations in 1891. It ran about of track between Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Gadsden, Alabama, hauling mainly iron, timber, and coal from the Lookout Mountain area. The railroad's nickname, The Pigeon Mountain Route, came from...
in 1911. A few years later, in 1922, the line's name was changed to the Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railway and was also known as the TAG Route. The TAG ran from Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
, through northwest Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, and into Gadsden, Alabama
Gadsden, Alabama
The city of Gadsden is the county seat of Etowah County in the U.S. state of Alabama, and it is located about 65 miles northeast of Birmingham, Alabama. It is the primary city of the Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 103,459. Gadsden is closely associated with the...
. The trackage began at Milepost 1 in Alton Park (Chattanooga) and continued southwest to the southern terminus in Gadsden, some 91.7 miles distant.
During the 1960's the railroad was owned by Mose and Garrison Siskin who owned the Siskin Steel Company in Chattanooga. They used the railroad to move steel products between Siskin Steel and Republic Steel in Gadsden. This made the TAG the only profitable short line railroad in the US during that period.
The TAG was purchased by 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...
in 1971. The northernmost 23 miles ending at Kensington, Georgia
Kensington, Georgia
Kensington, Georgia is a community in Walker County, Georgia northwest of LaFayette. It is the location of three properties or districts that are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places:*Lane House...
were operated by the Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway
Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway
The Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway is a short-line railroad which is headquartered in LaFayette, Georgia. The railroad operated twenty-two miles of the Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia Railway from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Kensington, Georgia, which went reverted to the Norfolk Southern System...
until the Dow Chemical plant in Kensington closed in September of 2009. Norfolk Southern began dismantling sections of the segment in March 2010.
Nearly all remnants of the line south of Kensington point are gone, except for the Pigeon Mountain Tunnel just south of Kensington and the pilings of the Yellow Creek Bridge near Leesburg, Alabama
Leesburg, Alabama
Leesburg is a town in Cherokee County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 799.-Geography:Leesburg is located at 34°10'57.446" North, 85°46'8.350" West .According to the U.S...
, on Lake Weiss. The steel bridge that crossed Yellow Creek now rests at the former location of the Gadsden terminal. The company still exists as a subsidiary of Norfolk Southern.
TAG Railway Tunnel at Pigeon Mountain