Question: Southern Ashburn Georgia Branch line connection?

[The Commodore]

This is a great forum for finding out about old railroad questions.  When I was 10 years old, my grandfather asked a fireman of a small steam enigine to let me up in the cab.  I know it wasn't Southern but, had some tracks that were alongside the Southern's main line through Ashburn, Georgia.  Another question I know Southern had the Ponce de Leon and the Royal Palm that came through Ashburn. There seems to have been other streamliners that came through as well.  

 

[Deggesty]

The railroad was the Georgia, Ashburn, Sylvester and Camilla Railway Company. The June 1955 Guide shows it to be 51.00 miles long (Ashburn to West Camilla; Camilla is at mp 49.98). It was one the then two Pidcock roads; the other one was the Georgia Northern, which ran 68.0 miles from Boston to Albany. The general offices of both were in Moultrie, Ga., with the same officers except that the Georgia Northern had a commercial agent and the GAS&C did not list one. The two roads crossed at Bridgeboro. The January 1930 Guide shows almost the same people holding the various positions.

In 1955, the GAS&C had express and freight service only, which took 3:45 from Ashburn to Camilla, and 4:00 to return.

 Seeing the name of the town, Pecan City (on the GaN), leads me to ask, "Is that still great pecan growing country?"

Both roads went into the Southern system and then were spun off to become the current Georgia and Florida Railway.  The Southern abandoned all of the GAS&C north of Adelaide (mp 45.67). The GaN was abandoned south of Pavo (13.3 miles out of Boston). 

[Deggesty]

I forgot to mention another item in the post about Ashburn. The Southern operated only two streamliners through Ashburn--the winter season New Royal Palm (last season wasWinter 1954-55) and the Royal Palm, which carried heavyweights only when the New Royal Palm was running. The Royal Palm also carried at least one heavyweight year-round until close to the end of its operation. The Florida Sunbeam, which the Seaboard took into Miami from Hampton, Florida, and last ran during the winter of 1948-1949, was heavyweight only.

[The Commodore]

Thanks much for the information about the branch line.  I don't live there anymore but, when we passed through a couple of years ago pecan bags and peanuts were being sold in the roadside stands. 

   It was quite a treat for a 10 year old to climb up into the cab.  I still remember it after about 60 years.  I roade the Royal Palm and the Ponce de Leon down to Jacksonville with my cousins who were about the same age.  

 

[The Commodore]

I typed in the name of the  railroad and found a picture of the engine.  Thanks much for the information on the Ashburn Georgia Branch Line.  Neat old engine. It looked a lot bigger when I was 10.