St. Marys Railroad lives on in Georgia

St. Marys GP16 switches freight cars. Paul Pleasant photo.

It’s the time of year when I start thinking about getting out more often and exploring railroads across America. At Trains, we just finished our annual tourist railroads and railroad museums issue and got it back from the printer. You’ll see the May issue with Southern Railway 4501 on the cover in your mailboxes and on newsstands soon. I’ve been fortunate to visit many preservation railroads and museums in my time, but a few have evaded me. One of the railroads that I haven’t reached is the St. Marys Railroad in coastal Georgia. I always knew it as a heavy-duty paper mill road, but a few years back, the mill shut down, and the railroad struck out on its own. Today that means both freight and tourists.

The railroad’s Barbara Ryan asked me if Trains could prepare a story about their line. We’ll start working on that, but since it may be a while before it gets to print, I asked if we could play 10 questions, so she and General Manager Paul Pleasant were kind enough to do so. Here’s what they told us about their railroad.

What's the power and the rolling stock?
GP16 No. 507, SW1200RS No. 506, cabooses X395, 671, and three 65-foot container cars converted to open air excursion cars, Nos. 1001, 1002, and 1003.

When does the railroad run?
Freight trains run as needed. Themed excursions run on Saturdays throughout the year. The schedule changes by the seasons.

SW1200RS No. 506 pulls three open cars and caboose. Courtesy of St. Marys Railroad.

What's the history on this line?
The St. Marys & Kingsland started in 1865. The first two locomotives arrived by barge to open the 10-mile line from St. Marys to a connection with what became the Seaboard Air Line at Kingsland, Ga. The railroad went by a variety of names and had many owners as its fortunes ebbed and flowed. Its sale to Gilman Paper in 1939 created the St. Marys Railroad. The short line grew in 1955 with an extension to a U.S. Army ammunition storage base. The railroad planned a 20-mile extension to Folkston, Ga., to reach the Atlantic Coast Line, but the 1967 Seaboard Coast Line merger made that a moot point. The railroad became a part of Gilman Paper in 1999, then went to Durango Paper, which closed in 2002. In 2007, Boatright Cos. bought the railroad.

What are the biggest challenges in bringing the railroad back as a viable freight carrier and as a new tourist line?
On the freight side, trucking is our major obstacle. With our biggest customer (Georgia-Pacific) it’s not so much a question of freight rates but delivery time. We’re having a difficult time competing with that. For the excursion train it’s determining market appeal. So far, every excursion has sold out.

Do you use volunteers or paid train crews?
The engineers, conductors, and trainmen are professionals, and volunteers serve as entertainers and car hosts.

What's your annual ridership?
15,000

St. Marys & Kingsland 4-4-0 No. 100. Courtesy of St. Marys Railroad.

What freight traffic do you have on the railroad?
Paper products, polyurethane pellets, military supplies for Kings Bay submarine base, and other bulk commodities.

How many carloads does the railroad carry per year?
Carloads vary between 600 and 1000. We also have storage for up to 500 cars and average 80 percent of capacity.

Where do your riders come from?
Mostly from a 100 mile radius with the bonus of additional people from across the country who come to the area for vacation.

What three things do you want to see the railroad accomplish in the next 3-5 years?
Increase our freight business utilizing vacant properties and existing industry adjacent to the railroad. Increase number of excursions so as to attract larger groups. Do a Day Out with Thomas event.