Georgia Southern and Florida Railway

The Georgia Southern and Florida Railway (reporting mark GSF), also known as the Suwanee River Route from its crossing of the Suwanee River, was founded in 1885 as the Georgia Southern and Florida Railroad and began operations between Macon, GA and Valdosta, GA in 1889, extending to Palatka, FL in 1890. The railroad went bankrupt by 1891, was reorganized as the Georgia Southern and Florida Railway in 1895, and was controlled by the Southern Railway.

Not to be confused with Georgia and Florida Railroad (1926–1963).
Georgia Southern and Florida Railway listed in Sholes' Directory, 1893

In 1902, the GS&F purchased the Atlantic, Valdosta and Western Railway that ran from Valdosta, GA to Jacksonville, FL. The GS&F also owned the Macon and Birmingham Railway and the Hawkinsville and Florida Southern Railway, both of which were operated as separate companies;[1] both ended up going bankrupt and being mostly abandoned. The GS&F was eventually acquired by the Norfolk Southern Railway and still operates as a subsidiary. As of November 2012, at least one operating Norfolk Southern locomotive retains GSF reporting marks.

The line was abandoned south of Lake City, Florida in the late 1980s. The Palatka-Lake Butler State Trail runs along some of the abandoned right of way. The remaining line is still in service and operated by Norfolk Southern Railway.[2] It is designated as Norfolk Southern's Macon District from Macon to Valdosta, and the Navair District from Valdosta to end of the line in Navair (just south of Lake City).[3]

Historic stations
State Milepost City/Location Station[4][5][3] Connections and notes
GA 0.0 G Macon Terminal Station opened in 1916
junction with:
0.9 G Macon Junction junction with Central of Georgia Railway
1.3 G Macon Yard
4.4 G Tamworth
7.9 G Sofkee junction with Macon and Birmingham Railway (GSF)[6]
10.6 G Avondale
13.0 G Elberta
16.0 G Warner Robins Warner Robins originally named Wellston
21.3 G Bonaire
24.9 G Kathleen Kathleen
29.0 G Tivola
30.9 G Clinchfield
34.9 G Grovania
38.4 G Elko
43.9 G Unadilla Unadilla
48.8 G Pinehurst Pinehurst
51.7 G Findlay
56.2 G Vienna Vienna
59.5 G Richwood
64.5 G Cordele Cordele junction with:
69.2 G Wenona
74.4 G Arabi
77.5 G Sibley
79.2 G Dakota
81.5 G Worth Worth junction with Hawkinsville & Florida Southern Railway (GSF)[6]
84.8 G Ashburn Ashburn
87.4 G Sycamore
91.6 G Inaha
95.3 G Sunsweet
98.1 G Chula
105.2 G Tifton Tifton junction with:
111.9 G Eldorado
118.1 G Lenox Lenox
123.0 G Laconte
125.5 G Sparks Sparks
127.7 G Adel Adel
131.0 G Heartpine
134.2 G Cecil Cecil
138.1 G Hahira Hahira
144.3 G Mineola Mineola
151.2 G Valdosta Valdosta junction with:
157.6 B Dasher Dasher
163.4 B Lake Park Lake Park
167.2 B Melrose
FL 170.7 B Jennings Jennings
176.1 B Avoca Avoca
182.2 B Jasper Jasper junction with Savannah, Florida and Western Railroad Florida Division (ACL)
192.8 B Genoa
196.3 B Facil
199.7 B White Springs White Springs
203.2 B Suwanee Valley
206.0 B Winfield
211.6 B Lake City Lake City junction with:
212.7 B Watertown Junction
219.0 B Jefferson
222.3 B Lulu Lulu
227.9 B Guilford
229.1 B Cliftonville
232.9 B Lake Butler Lake Butler junction with Jacksonville and Southwestern Railroad (ACL)
239.2 B New River
243.9 B Sampson City Sampson City junction with:
249.6 B Hampton Hampton junction with Florida Central and Peninsular Railroad Southern Division (SAL)
253.4 B Theressa
257.8 B Brooklyn
258.5 B Keystone Heights Keystone Heights
259.9 B Lake Geneva Lake Geneva
264.5 B Putnam Hall Putnam Hall
267.1 B Grandin Grandin
269.1 B Florahome Florahome
273.0 B Baywood
275.4 B Carraway
278.0 B Woodburn
280.0 B Springside
285.6 B Palatka Palatka relocated to union depot in 1908
junction with:

See also

References
  1. Map of Georgia Southern and Florida Railway and connections (Official Guide of the Railways, April 1918, via RailGA)
  2. "Lake City to Palatka, FL". Abandoned Rails. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  3. Norfolk Southern Georgia Division Timetable
  4. "Georgia Railroads: Passenger Stations & Stops" (PDF). Jim Fergusson's Railway and Tramway Station Lists (Georgia). Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  5. "Florida Railroads: Passenger Stations & Stops" (PDF). Jim Fergusson's Railway and Tramway Station Lists (Florida). Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  6. Georgia Southern and Florida
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