A couple of days above 80 degrees meant there was considerable progress by the track crew!
The first loop is complete! We could officially run a train! Too bad neither of the locos have battery power just yet.
The return loop is complete as well. The track runs down to the switch to the coal trestle track.
#1 arrival track has reached the spot where it will junction with the Southern Ry interchange track.
Ken,
ReplyDeleteI recently discovered your blog “All Aboard The Tallulah Falls Railroad.”. I have enjoyed reading and seeing your progress on you G-gauge version. What fun [and a lot of hard work]. Also, really appreciate all the historic info on the TF. It is a treasure drove for anyone interested in this wonderful short line.
Although I grew up in suburban Atlanta (College Park--A&WP, Hapeville--CofG and Forest Park--CofG, I’m very familiar with the TF. I spent many summers and holidays in Habersham and Rabun counties visiting my mother’s relatives especially in the 50’s and early 60’s.
My mother grew up in Turnerville where my granddad, J.R. Shore, ran a general store across the tracks from the TF station. [John Kollack did a painting -- circa 1920 , depicting a steam engine at the Turnerville station with granddad’s store in the picture]. In fact mom was born upstairs above the store, because that’s where her family lived until granddad built a large house up the hill from the station on the other side of old 441/23. The house is still there, large 2 story white house with wraparound porch. It’s on the left heading north on old [now HISTORIC) 441. On Google map it looks like it is at the end of Claude Bingham Rd. (actually drive way to the house)
My mother went to Tallulah Falls School when it was still primarily for the ‘mountain kids’.
I was born in 1944 so I don’t remember the TF steam engines, but I do remember riding bikes with my cousins to the Turnerville station to get the mail being delivered by the self powered (Gas-electric) RPO car with headlight and small pilot. [I believe that it was #201 shown on pages 44 & 88 of the 2nd edition of Brian Boyd’s book ]. My main memories are in the 50’s. By then the TF was down to a couple of trains per week pulled by the 70 ton diesels. We use to go swimming below the high Panther Creek Trestle where a small waterfalls made a large pool --perfect for kids on a hot summer day. I remember seeing the train roll over head and waving at the engineer and caboose crew.
My grandmother told me that when she was a teenager in the early 1900’s, the thing to do on Sunday after church was catch the train from Turnerville to the “FALLS” for a picnic. By the time my mother was a teenager the highway was paved so they went to the Falls by car.
On page 86 of the Boyd TF book is a picture of a train work crew. The man wearing the cook’s apron standing in the doorway of the car is my great uncle ‘Dalf’ Davidson. He was the husband of my grandmother’s sister. One of his great grandsons currently lives in the big house my mother grew up in, so in a way the house is still “in the family”.
I currently live in Strasburg, Va in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. Another beautiful mountain place that reminds me of NE Georgia. I had to be in Atlanta two weeks ago and went to Cornelia to visit the station museum. While there, I had a chance to watch (and photo) a local freight switching covered hopper cars [probably chicken feed] in the small yard just south of the station. The switching moves required the 3 unit NS diesels to pull past the station numerous times [too the irritation of drivers at the grade crossings on either side of the station]. The whole operation took over 30 minutes, so I got some good shots and decent video. I also took pictures of the diesel repair operation in what’s left of the TF yards inside the wye. If you are interested in seeing a few of the pictures let me know. I will try to post some.
I never like it when locals said TF stood for "Total Failure". It saddened me when she finally was shutdown.
Enough of my ramblings and ruminations on the TF RR for now. It would be great to hear from you. In the meantime I will follow your progress on recreating the ole TF RR in your backyard! EFB