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Gainesville Midland book

Conrad Cheatham
 

In his book on the Gainesville Midland Doug mentions that the
Gainesville, Jefferson & Southern considered running a line from
Social Circle toward Monticello or elsewhere.
When I lived in Newton County, GA in the 1980s & 1990s I was told
about the grade of a proposed road from Social Circle to Mansfield.
In those days the grade could be seen here & there. One place was
just west of the old Harris Springs Primitive Baptist Church near the
insection of GA Hwy 11 & I-20. The church has been moved but is just
off of GA 11.
Crossing I-20 the grade could be seen here & there along GA 11.
One location was near the site of the old drive-in movie theater.
When the Middle Georgia & Atlantic railroad was being built across
Newton County in the early 1890s its line came from Newborn to near a
postal location called Bob Lee. The line continued on to Starrsville.
At Bob Lee the MG&A established a station called Carmel Junction
because there were plans for a railroad to be built to Social Circle.
Later Carmel Jct became Mansfield.
Times have changed - the GJ&S is a part of the CSX system, that
portion of the MG&A in Newton County that is left is a part of the
Great Walton, a shortline headquartered in Social Circle. Newton
County is experiencing heavy population growth so the remnants of the
old grade may become housing developments.
Thanks Doug for your work.
Conrad Cheatham
Douglas van Veelen <douglasvanveelen@...>
 

Hi Conrad,

I'm glad you enjoy the book. Since I sent it to the publisher in early
2005, Several new items have occurred with the GM.
First, the diamond across Southern and the track into downtown
Gainesville is more or less gone. Last I looked, all the switches were
gone and some of the rails had been pulled here and there.
Second, GJ&S #1 is listed as a 0-4-2t Forney. It was a 2-4-0 with a 4
wheel tender.
Several other GJ&S locomotives may have been located. There might have
been a GJ&S 17 and GJ&S 18 that came via SI&E from the Florida Southern.
I have been considering how to "publish these updates and have been
considering insering them in the GM 2008 calendar I am currently
working on.

Doug.

--- In GaRRHistory@..., "okete12000" <okete12000@...> wrote:

In his book on the Gainesville Midland Doug mentions that the
Gainesville, Jefferson & Southern considered running a line from
Social Circle toward Monticello or elsewhere.
When I lived in Newton County, GA in the 1980s & 1990s I was told
about the grade of a proposed road from Social Circle to Mansfield.
In those days the grade could be seen here & there. One place was
just west of the old Harris Springs Primitive Baptist Church near the
insection of GA Hwy 11 & I-20. The church has been moved but is just
off of GA 11.
Crossing I-20 the grade could be seen here & there along GA 11.
One location was near the site of the old drive-in movie theater.
When the Middle Georgia & Atlantic railroad was being built across
Newton County in the early 1890s its line came from Newborn to near a
postal location called Bob Lee. The line continued on to Starrsville.
At Bob Lee the MG&A established a station called Carmel Junction
because there were plans for a railroad to be built to Social Circle.
Later Carmel Jct became Mansfield.
Times have changed - the GJ&S is a part of the CSX system, that
portion of the MG&A in Newton County that is left is a part of the
Great Walton, a shortline headquartered in Social Circle. Newton
County is experiencing heavy population growth so the remnants of the
old grade may become housing developments.
Thanks Doug for your work.
Conrad Cheatham

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