Western & Atlantic – Railfanning.org

DeFeo Discusses Historic Gauge Change on the Western & Atlantic Railroad, Announces New Book

May 4, 2026 Railfanning.org News Wire

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.

People & Places of the Western & Atlantic: Episode 4: Changing the Gauge

May 3, 2026 Railfanning.org Digital Library

Watch the newest episode today!

The Night the Railroad Moved: Changing the Western & Atlantic Railroad’s Gauge

April 30, 2026 Railfanning.org Digital Library

The Western & Atlantic Railroad’s gauge did not change overnight by accident.

Three Inches That Changed Everything

April 22, 2026 Railfanning.org Digital Library

Among the many changes to the Western & Atlantic Railroad since its inception, the change of the line’s gauge in 1886 ranks among the most significant — and also among the most misunderstood.

Three Inches, a Nation, and a Night of Change

April 15, 2026 Railfanning.org Digital Library

In early May, Railfanning.org Publisher and Editor Todd DeFeo will explore a chapter of railroad history that is often mentioned, but seldom fully examined.

Gilmore, Georgia: A Railroad Community that Faded Into the Map

April 2, 2026 Railfanning.org Digital Library

If you’re expecting a railfanning video to open with a locomotive in the background, this one may throw you off. There are no trains in the shot. No flashing signals. No horn echoing off the buildings.

A Deadly Night on the Rails: The 1933 Louisville & Nashville Derailment Near Bartow, Georgia

March 30, 2026 Railfanning.org Digital Library

On the evening of April 17, 1933, a Louisville & Nashville passenger train derailed near Bartow, Georgia. Two railroad men and two trespassers lost their lives, and 11 others were hurt.

Passenger Trains on the Western & Atlantic? Experts Break Down Running Passenger Trains on Class I Mainlines

March 13, 2026 Railfanning.org Digital Library

Talk of restoring passenger rail service on the Georgia-owned Western & Atlantic Railroad between Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tennessee, often runs into the same refrain: It would be expensive to “upgrade the line.”

C&EI Heritage Unit Passes Through Smyrna, Georgia

January 31, 2026 Todd DeFeo

CSX Transportation’s Chicago & Eastern Illinois pulled a northbound freight through Smyrna, Georgia, on the evening of Friday, Jan. 30, shortly after the city unveiled its new Jonquil statue downtown.