L&NHS archivesThe railroad is often referred to as the “Hook & Eye” because of its storied Hiwassee Loop around Bald Mountain, where the railroad crosses over itself deep in rugged back country. ![]() K4-A Pacific, built by South Louisville Shops in 1914, was typical of passenger power used on the Old Line. Much of the original line was constructed north from Marietta in the 1870s as the 36-inch gauge Marietta & North Georgia. One of the highlights was an unexpected pleasure: grabbing 13 miles of the L&N’s “Old Line” between Blue Ridge, Ga., and Copperhill, Tenn., on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad, once part of a much longer 143-mile route linking Etowah, Tenn., with Marietta, Ga. My old friend and colleague Ron Flanary had invited me to come down and, knowing how friendly the L&N folks are, I gladly said “yes.” I had a fine time with my host, L&NHS Vice President David Orr. I discovered that even the smallest little piece of railroad can be quite satisfying.Ĭase in point: my visit this past weekend to Cartersville, Ga., where I was the dinner speaker for the annual convention of the Louisville & Nashville Historical Society. Between lots of Amtrak travel, the occasional ride aboard a freight train on a story assignment, and frequent visit to tourist lines, I’ve done OK. I knew I’d never catch up, but I jumped in anyway - often to his amusement.īut it’s been fun. David Ingles, then the editor of Trains, who in his lifetime managed to fill his Rand McNally railroad atlases with plenty of inked-in main lines and branches. I got started late in the game, inspired by my boss J. ![]() Ron Flanar圜ollecting so-called “rare mileage” can be a frustrating hobby. A TVRM special pauses at Reliance, Tenn., during the 2008 L&N Historical Society convention.
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