Overview
The state of Georgia chartered the Western & Atlantic Railroad on December 21, 1836, and the state-owned line eventually built a railroad between Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tennessee. The railroad, which formally opened on May 9, 1850, was instrumental for the founding and location of Atlanta, helping it grow from railroad crossroads to a logistics hub. The Western & Atlantic was an integral road during the Civil War. On April 12, 1862, Union spies stole a locomotive with the intent of destroying the line. The state leased the line to a private company for the first time in 1870. CSX Transportation currently leases the line from the state of Georgia.
Quick Facts
- Type
- Railroad
- Founded
- December 1, 1836
- Headquarters
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Geographic area
- Georgia;Tennessee
- Disposition
- Leased to CSX Transportation
Person
Joseph F. Renard
Joseph F. “Uncle Joe” Renard was born on April 1, 1837, in Charleston, South Carolina, and he always wanted to be a train engineer. He…
Person
William Allen Fuller
William Allen Fuller (April 15, 1836-December 28, 1905) was born in 1836 in Morrow Station, south of Atlanta in Henry County. He entered service as…
Place
Chetoogeta Mountain Tunnel (1850)
The Chetoogeta Mountain Tunnel formally opened for traffic on May 9, 1850.
Place
Chetoogeta Mountain Tunnel (1928)
After nearly two years of construction, the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway opened a new tunnel at Tunnel Hill, Georgia.
Place
The General
At 6 a.m. on April 12, 1862, the General steamed into Big Shanty (today Kennesaw).
Happening
December 24, 1842
First Locomotive Operates on the Western & Atlantic
The first locomotive intended for the Western & Atlantic Railroad arrived in Georgia in 1845 after being hauled by wagon approximately 60 miles from Madison.…
Happening
April 12, 1862
Great Locomotive Chase
The Great Locomotive Chase was a Civil War raid carried out on April 12, 1862, when Union volunteers stole the locomotive General in an attempt…
Place
Allatoona Pass
Place
Atlanta Union Station (1853)
Place
Atlanta Union Station (1871)
Place
Atlanta Union Station (1930)
Place
Dalton
Place
Great Locomotive Chase End
Place
Great Locomotive Chase Start
Place
Ringgold Depot
Place
The Texas
Place
Zero Mile Post
Happening
May 9, 1850
Tunnel Hill Tunnel Opens
Happening
July 6, 1862
Collision Near Johnson’s Station
Happening
September 14, 1863
Collision on the Etowah Grade
Happening
December 28, 1870