Blue Streak, I can't find any older Atlanta maps to compare with, but I think you're right that Hunter St. became MLK Drive. I only lived in the area for about four years, and never really got well-acquainted with the downtown. We lived in Decatur, then we moved over near Emory University. For most of my time there I rarely went further west than Hulsey Yard. I was only at the Hunter St. offices once. My recollection is that if I followed the tracks from our yard west, towards downtown, HQ was not too far away, and stood at a point just before the downtown got really "downtowny." I think near I-85, but I'm guessing still on the east side of it. I wish I could pin it down more, but it was so long ago. I'm pretty sure it was further west than Oakland Cemetary. If I find out more, I'll let you know.
I can't answer the operational questions you posed. I knew the GARR way better than the AWP. I drove along almost all of the GA, but never explored the AWP.
We got three transfers, at least, every day. From SOU, L&N, and SCL. I think two of them came through "underground Atlanta." And we got run-through trains from L&N and SCL.
If you look at Atlanta on Google Maps, find Wylie St. SE. I would come to work by driving south on Moreland Ave., then turning right (west) on Wylie. Look on the map and follow Wylie to where you see a single RR track come off the yard and head almost due south, but stopping at Wylie. When I was there, it did not stop. There was a full wye, and then tracks heading south, I believe at that point double-track. AWP trains were built in the yard west of that point, and left the yard there (via the SW leg of the wye, which is now gone), crossing Wylie, going south, then at some point curving more westward. The yard office was right by the wye, on the west side. The enginehouse was to the east of the wye.
One L&N run-through train left the yard, and several blocks south of Wylie the middle of the train derailed in a very big way, about three minutes after the caboose went by the yard office. That was the only serious wreck I knew of when I was there. I was in the yard office, and a local's engineer radioed from a siding along the main and screamed that the run-through was derailing "all over" his train. I believe the cleanup took at least three days. I don't know what caused it. But I do remember that those trains were pulled by big impressive GE units (maybe six-axle) that dwarfed our old GP7s. I wonder if those heavy units damaged the track.
Lithonia------ Was the Hunter street office near the cemetary? didn't Hunter get renamed MLK drive.? How did the A&WP passenger train get dispatched from Terminal station over the Cof Ga to east point. As well the freights from Oakland Jct to East Point , CTC ?
Were you involved when operator in any way of the SOU and SAL transfer runs ?
During the GARR days, the dispatcher was at the main office on Hunter Street. I think from there he dispatched all of the GA, A&WP and WofA. I am pretty sure only one dispatcher was on duty at a time. Before I moved out to Lithonia, I was stationed in the yard office at Hulsey Yard. Upstairs in a building on the south side of the yard, near the enginehouse. For a while there I worked a relief job, doing two days as an operator and three as a clerk. The operator worked in a tiny room off of the main room. I took orders for GA and AWP/WA trains, from the same DS. In the large-ish main room were the chief clerk, the other clerks (usually three), and the yardmaster. The yardmaster spent most of his time at a big radio talking to the three switching crews; it was all flat-switching. In an office off of that room was the Trainmaster. There was nothing fancy about any of it.
On the A&WP/WA, conductors were assigned their own cabooses, per their union contract. (Not so on the GARR.) Management would sometimes bit©h about having to dig a caboose out of some track, as opposed to just taking the one on the end, to build a train.
At Lithonia, I was mostly alone, and worked as clerk/operator.
Maybe when we rode the train, the coach was on the rear end; I really can't remember clearly, and I probably took no photos. When I was there, I'm pretty sure the branchline mixed trains were long gone.
I really liked working there ... when people left me alone. But often there was fear in the air because management was on a tear about something, and looking for a scapegoat. And in Lithonia it was a co-worker (I was an evening guy, and overlapped 1.5 hours with the agent/clerk) who put the screws to me, and resulted in my quitting. In the whole time I was there, I ran afoul of only three other co-workers, and one manager. Most of the railroaders were really solid guys who were good to work with. A lot of them had great nicknames!
Electroliner 1935When I'm working at the FRTM, I claim to be a model railroader. And my layout is a one foot to one foot scale.
I call it "twelve inch to the foot...."
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
tree68mvlandsw He was trying to make them work like Kadee couplers without opening the knuckles. A significant number of our folks are hobbyists - they come to us to "play" with the real thing. I've never run into that before, though.
He was trying to make them work like Kadee couplers without opening the knuckles.
A significant number of our folks are hobbyists - they come to us to "play" with the real thing. I've never run into that before, though.
When I'm working at the FRTM, I claim to be a model railroader. And my layout is a one foot to one foot scale.
All mixed train services ( there were other routes ATL - August the last ) enabled the RR to be excused from property taxes for that route. The original charter(s) provided for that . l heard that was one reason the A&WP did not merge their corprate into the GARR. Operation of all three RRs ( Including the Western RR of Alabama ) tied together as much as possible.
Hulsey yard in ATL, Common Freighthouse on the A&WP bypass just south of Memorial drive. loco interchange, loco Mtce in Augusta, Some GaRR diesel passenger locos had Nathan air chime whistles. Same searchlight signal system. Not sure about dispatch before CSX. A&WP RR used terminal station. GaRR used Union station as acess to terminal station platforms not feasible.
Some Other mixed routes were Athens - Union Point, Camak - Milledgeville / maybe Macon,, Not sure about route to Washington Ga. Used cabooses.
In later years of the GA RR mixed the passenger car was often on the rear especially going to Augusta.
BaltACDMy understanding, and it could be wrong, was the GARR was required to offer 'passenger service' as a requirement of the company's charter with the State of Georgia.
That's correct.
It was a stainless steel coach, so it didn't have the "mixed-train character" of an old heavyweight or, better yet, a passenger caboose. It was reasonbly clean inside (probably because virtually no on rode it), but I remember that the air was very stale.
Lithonia OperatorWhen I worked at the GARR, it was best to keep one's interest in trains under wraps. I once arranged for my wife and I to ride the mixed train from Atlanta to Augusta and back. But my request was initially met with something approaching hostility. My union rep helped make it happen, but management acted like I was being a major PIA. The single coach on this freight was there because under some old agreement, the railroad was required to provide this service to the public. But they did everything they could to avoid having anyone ride. I never got the feeling that liking trains was considered in any way to be an asset; on the contrary, it kind of made you suspect in some people's eyes.
My understanding, and it could be wrong, was the GARR was required to offer 'passenger service' as a requirement of the company's charter with the State of Georgia. A requirement that the company, at that time, would fulfill in the worst way possible; thus the unadvertized 'mixed freight' style operation.
When the Georgia Sub was a part of my territory on CSX it was the worst of two worlds. It had a signal system, a system that was not robust and reliable enough for Dispatchers to be able to use 'Proceed Blocks' on the 'Direct Traffic Control' form of movement authorities that were used to operate the line; thus trains in one direction got exclusive 'block authority' as trains could not be fleeted relying on the signal system to maintain safe separation of trains. That being said, when the signal system failed, trains had to be given specific authority to pass STOP signals and move at Restricted Speed until a more permissive signal indication was seen.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Mark, hardly anyone ever rode that train when I worked there. I have no idea how a member of the general public would have even gone about buying a ticket. And there was no station, at least on the Atlanta end; my wife and I just boarded from the ground in the freight yard. I'm pretty sure there was no platform at Augusta either. We were the only passengers, in both directions. I guess if you had persevered you maybe could have ridden. But I was definitely discouraged from taking the trip. (As an employee, I rode free; I don't remember if I had to pay for my wife.) The attitude was that I didn't really need to ride that train, and so I shouldn't. Like it was a bother. That's just the way it was there then. The relationship between labor and management stunk. If you had tried to get a ticket, I'm guessing they would have tried to subtly talk you out of it. I think part of it was they were concerned about injury liability. It was not my business to know, but in the year and a half I worked there, I personally never knew of anyone else ever riding the train. IIRC the coach was right behind the engines. Since we were aboard, the conductor had to ride in the coach. I think he and management would have preferred he was in the caboose; but that's just a theory. If you had pushed, maybe you could have ridden, because I think by law they would have been required to sell you a ticket, since they were a common carrier and had this so-called passenger service. But the "service" was not publicized at all; they simply did not want passengers. To them, passengers were a nuisance. I'm glad I did it, but the windows were so dirty you couldn't see much.
I wanted to ride that train when I was stationed at Fort Gordan but could not work it into my schedule. Why would you need to make any special arrangements? I thought anyone could just buy a ticket.
Mark Vinski
When I worked at the GARR, it was best to keep one's interest in trains under wraps. I once arranged for my wife and I to ride the mixed train from Atlanta to Augusta and back. But my request was initially met with something approaching hostility. My union rep helped make it happen, but management acted like I was being a major PIA. The single coach on this freight was there because under some old agreement, the railroad was required to provide this service to the public. But they did everything they could to avoid having anyone ride. I never got the feeling that liking trains was considered in any way to be an asset; on the contrary, it kind of made you suspect in some people's eyes.
mvlandsw He was trying to make them work like Kadee couplers without opening the knuckles.
Some outside knowledge can interfere with your job performance.
I was working a yard job as a brakeman and another crew member was having trouble making a coupling. He had shoved the cars together three times and they still wouldn't couple. The yard foreman sent me to help him. He was trying to make them work like Kadee couplers without opening the knuckles.
Identified many railfans that were hiding. USually when they say something like "ok, so we're cutting away from the gp38"?
*Eyebrows raise*
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
When I hired on the railroad I kept my interest under cover but after a few years people got to know and I never had any trouble over it. Even management would sometimes ask if I had any pictures of something.
It is probably best not to mention your collection of 1000 engine pictures at your hiring interview though.
On the other hand if you can demonstrate some knowledge of the industry and problems that it faces it may help your prospects. A Greyhound interviewer seemed impressed when I asked how the formation of Amtrak would affect the bus industry.
Ulrich Other jobs have a similar following. Lots of construction crane fans out there too.. me being one of them. And there are truck fans heavy equipment fans.. I've even met tire fans..
Other jobs have a similar following. Lots of construction crane fans out there too.. me being one of them. And there are truck fans heavy equipment fans.. I've even met tire fans..
I very much enjoy cranes. When I'm out and about I'm always seeing if any new models are on site that I haven't seen before.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
tree68There are a good many railcrew members who are fans themselves.
I mean *waves around to the few operating people here*
I've heard the advice to keep railfanning to yourself from others, as well.
OTOH, I caught a cab ride once (arranged by the trainmaster himself). The engineer took a camera out of his grip and asked me to catch a picture for him of the consist.
There are a good many railcrew members who are fans themselves.
I still see that engineer from time to time.
And there are people high up in management who are railfans as well - oftimes they are the reason any sort of preservation exists.
I've never worked in a job where we had outside "fans" but I fear that over the years a few super-enthusiastic railfans have muddied the water for everybody else by, for example, dashing unsafely in front of a train to reach a better photo vantage point.
Some years ago an avid-train-fan acquaintance confided that he was leaving his job in another industry to join a major railroad's training program. My (unsolicted) advice was not to mention being a railfan. Resist the urge to show off his prior knowledge when the instructor is describing, say, various aspects displayed on the block signals. I was confident that he would do well on the various tests, and with judicious participation in classroom discussions would be recognized as a top student and touted as good prospect for a successful career.
We've lost touch in recent years so I don't know how all that worked out, but I'm glad to read in Bill Stephens' commentary that a happy mix can be achieved.
Irv Smith, Missouri City TX
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