SMYRNA, Georgia — Railfanning.org Publisher and Editor Todd DeFeo on Sunday presented a lecture examining one of the most significant — and often overlooked — events in American railroad history: the 1886 change of the Western & Atlantic Railroad’s track gauge.
During the talk, DeFeo announced the release of a new book titled Changing the Gauge on the Western & Atlantic Railroad, which explores how the state‑owned railroad successfully converted its 138‑mile line between Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tennessee, from a five‑foot gauge to the national standard gauge.
The gauge change, completed in a matter of hours, allowed freight and passenger cars to operate seamlessly across different railroad systems, eliminating costly delays caused by incompatible track widths. While the feat is often described as an “overnight” accomplishment, DeFeo’s presentation emphasized the months of planning, engineering preparation, and coordinated labor that made such speed possible.
Drawing on contemporary newspaper articles, personal accounts, and other records, the talk placed the Western & Atlantic’s experience within the broader context of the growth of the national rail network and the push toward standardization in the late nineteenth century.
The new book expands on those themes, using the Western & Atlantic Railroad as a case study to examine how railroads approached the challenge of standardization, why the change mattered economically and operationally, and how careful planning enabled one of the largest coordinated infrastructure efforts of its time.
DeFeo is the author of multiple works on railroad and regional history and serves as publisher and editor of Railfanning.org. His research focuses on railroads in Georgia and the Southeast, with particular attention to how local lines fit into broader national systems.
Changing the Gauge on the Western & Atlantic Railroad is DeFeo’s third book on the Western & Atlantic Railroad.
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