DALTON, Ga. — In our first two reports about railfanning in Dalton, we focused on a quick overview of the city and the historic freight depot, which is today a hotspot for watching passing freights.
To be sure, Dalton is a true train-watching paradise. But, it is also a great example of what happens when a city embraces a hobby like railfanning.
When it comes to attracting tourists — and their wallets — railfans make a relatively easy group to target, and it can be done at a remarkably reasonable price. When they converge on a city, they make for a pretty low-key group of visitors.
Now, not every city can build a train-viewing platform in the hopes railfans will visit. Dalton, for its part, sits at a place where two rail lines cross, bringing with it a high volume of trains.
While it would be impossible to make up for a lack of rail traffic, but cities that see lots of trains have an opportunity to capitalize.
