Substack

‘Fanning Friday: July 31, 2026

July 31, 2026 Todd DeFeo

In other words: Be smart. Don’t be part of my next presentation. Attend it, don’t be on one of the slides!

The early operations of the Western & Atlantic Railroad

July 2, 2026 Todd DeFeo

While the first train operated over a portion of the Western & Atlantic Railroad on December 24, 1842, 20 miles of the line did not go into regular operation until September 15, 1845, the same day the Georgia Railroad completed its line between Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia.

VIDEO: CSX runs special train honoring Medal of Honor recipients

October 4, 2025 Todd DeFeo

About 20 Medal of Honor recipients boarded a special passenger train in downtown Kennesaw on Sept. 30 and headed north along a historic rail line that was the scene of one of the Civil War’s most daring exploits.

What’s it like to ride through the modern Western & Atlantic tunnel?

October 1, 2025 Todd DeFeo

I filmed a quick video reflecting on passing through the 1928 tunnel on the Western & Atlantic Railroad during the “first-ever immersive reenactment of the Great Locomotive Chase” from Kennesaw, Georgia, to Ringgold, Georgia.

Running through the ‘new’ tunnel in Tunnel Hill, Georgia

September 30, 2025 Todd DeFeo

Read more This article was published by Tales from the Rails and is republished here with permission. Click here to view the original.

Let’s start by defining what constitutes a railroad oddity

April 14, 2025 Todd DeFeo

I’ve been thinking about what oddities happened on the rails — and how to define oddity. In all the talks that I’ve given, something interesting has emerged.

Remembering the Great Locomotive Chase 163 years later

April 12, 2025 Todd DeFeo

It was a rainy Saturday morning — April 12, 1862 — when a group of suspicious men boarded a northbound Western & Atlantic train at Marietta, Georgia. The men held tickets to varying points along the line, trying to make it seem as though they were not a part of one large group.