Gray, GA: Moved/Central of Georgia Depot

Original: (Satellite)

Current: (Satellite)

Current location:

Street View, Mar 2022

This is the same view before the move. They built a new street as well as moved the depot.

Street View, Nov 2018

The original location. Note the shelters on the right to where the depot was moved.

Street View, Nov 2018

Gary Miller posted three photos with the comment: "The Gray, GA depot in Jones County, GA was moved across the street & then renovated as a retail store."

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Photo, Aug 2023

Dennis DeBruler commented on Gary's post
The railroad was the Central of Georgia. The depot was moved between Nov 2018 and Mar 2022. 1964 Gray Quad @ 24,000

Columbus, GA: Union Station, CoG Roundhouse & Coaling Tower and Goldens' Foundry & Machine Co.

Depot: (Satellite)

Roundhouse: (Satellite)

Coaling Tower: (Satellite)

Foundry: (Satellite)

The Union Station served Central of Georgia, SAL and Southern. Southern absorbed Central of Georgia in 1963.

Street View, Aug 2019

RE Pearce posted five photos with the comment: "The Columbus Georgia Union Station was constructed in 1901 by the architectural firm Bruce & Morgan in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, characterized by its robust stonework, arched windows, and mansard roof elements inspired by Second Empire architecture. It was built to serve as a shared passenger depot for three major railroads: the Central of Georgia Railway (which operated local trains from Birmingham through Columbus to Macon), the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (initially running passenger services to destinations like Richland and Albany), and the Southern Railway. This multi-railroad setup made it a true "union" station. In recent years, efforts to repurpose the historic station have breathed new life into it. In 2025, local real estate developer and preservationist Ken Henson completed a major renovation project, investing over $5 million to transform the 124-year-old building into a mixed-use development called Union Station. The project preserved original features like the stone facade and interior details while adding modern amenities. It now includes 16 rentable office spaces, 15 one-bedroom apartments (ranging from 750 to 950 square feet, with rents averaging around $1,000 per month), and one event space for gatherings. All apartments were leased shortly after completion."

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[The REA truck is notable. I had noticed in the above street view that the left hand side was freight handling while the right hand side was office space.]

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Note the shadow of the coaling tower near the top of this excerpt.

Dennis DeBruler commented on RE's post [AR1VCAW00010164]
Not only is the depot extant, but so is the passenger train railyard. This is the only one I can think of in the USA that hasn't become a sports stadium, convention center, parking lots and/or office buildings unless it is used for commuter trains. (Except for the Pennsylvania railyard in Chicago, which was rebuilt by Amtrak.) I dropped a pin on the former roundhouse location, https://maps.app.goo.gl/H3hhWLpkaXdBcCNM9. 1968 aerial photo

Southern came in from the Northeast, and SAL came in from the Southeast. The other six "spokes" were Central of George.

1955/59 Columbus Quad @ 24,000

While I was "street viewing" for the depot, I noticed a nicely preserved industrial building south of the depot.

Street View, Aug 2019

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that it is still a heavy-industry building.

Photo, Oct 2020

Chickamauga, GA: Museum/Central of Georgia Depot

(Satellite)

Some extra tracks still exist in this town.

Street View, Jun 2023

This is looking the other way down the tracks. I presume this is local freight action rather than storage because one normally doesn't see pneumatic hopper cars in storage.

Street View, Jun 2023

Gary Miller posted
The depot in Chickamauga, GA was originally built by the Central of Georgia Railroad and now houses the City of Chickamauga's Train & History Museum. It is also a departure point for the TVRM's "Chickamauga Turn" excursion, which travels from Chattanooga to Chickamauga.

Tandi Sypolt posted five photos with the comment: "The stone depot was constructed in the 1890s by the Central of Georgia Railroad and trains made round trips twice a day between Chattanooga and Cedartown, stopping in Chickamauga. Passenger service stopped in the early 50's and the depot was locked in the late 60's. Over the years, the depot was used by the City Schools, as a public library, by the Recreation Association and Walker County; until the City of Chickamauga was deeded the property in the late 1990's. It is now a museum but the Tennessee Valley Railroad offer a 6-hour train journey from Chattanooga to the historic Civil War town of Chickamauga, Georgia, named the Chickamauga Turn. You can then enjoy a 90-minute layover to explore attractions like Crawfish Springs and the Gordon-Lee Mansion.— in Chickamauga, GA."

Kenton Dickerson: The cupola is a modern addition to

Jacob Woods: Kenton Dickerson Done in the 1990s maybe? A new roof went on about that time. I always figured there was some historical precedent to why the cupola was put on, but have never personally looked into researching it.

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Google Maps has a label of Chattooga and Chickamauga Railway near this building, so I checked it out.

CCKY

Train Ride via TVRail

Montgomery, AL: Alabama Union Station

(Satellite)

According to a topo map, in addition to L&N, the Western Railway of Alabama went through this station. And the Seaboard Air Line and Central of Georgia had branches from the east that terminated here.

Looking West:

Street View, Jan 2025

Looking North:

Street View, Jan 2017

Dale Proctor posted two photos with the comment: "Union Station in Montgomery Ala., built by L&N in 1897-1898. I took the photos in February 1990 and in 1992 (train shed)."

Mike Davis: It seems like I heard somewhere that Gustav Eiffel had a hand in the design of the station? Has anyone else heard that or know anything about it?

John Tisdale: I owned the station and the shed until 1999. I was always told that the roof trusses were an Eiffel design, but I have no drawings or other documents to back that up. The L&N Historical Society may have this information in their records.

Jim Kelling shared with the comment: "Union Station in Montgomery Alabama."

Andy Swan: Very nice does either remain?

Dennis DeBruler: Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/kzs3xfXaoFuvDfPY9

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Gabriel Craft, Jan 2019

Sammie Bibb, Apr 2024

Savannah, GA: Central of Georgia Roundhouse, Drill Yard & Dock and Georgia State Railroad Museum

Roundhouse: (HAER-roundhouse; HAER-repair; Satellite, 4,397 photos)

Drill Yard and Docks: (Satellite)

Street View, May 2019

Gary Miller posted

The Georgia State Railroad Museum (formerly the Roundhouse Railroad Museum) is located in Savannah, GA at a former Central of Georgia Railway site. It includes parts of the Central of Georgia Railway: Savannah Shops & Terminal facilities and includes a roundhouse, turntable and former depot. The complex is considered the most complete antebellum railroad complex in the United States.

This postcard from the late 1970's shows the facility before an extensive renovation and conversion into a full-scale museum in 1989.

Raymond Storey shared

 

Nick N Joyce Gardner posted
I posted this photo recently, of the old Central of Georgia, yard in Savannah, which was also the Port at that time, called Ocean Terminal..  I drove over the viaduct yesterday and the only thing left from this photo is the old Drill Yard...  All of the buildings along the river, including the Ocean Terminal. office building are gone and replaced with new container cranes.. Everything in the from the Drill Yard to east side has been bulldozed  and and in transition to something else...
[There is still a lot of rail served industry upstream from this Dock.]

Davis Paul: Wow.. it was quite a place for trains!… would the shops and roundhouse would be to the lower right out of the picture?

Nick N Joyce Gardner: Davis Paul Yes, and the old CG yard office/YM, was in the building on the river side of the viaduct.

Joseph Robinson posted 18 photos with the comment:

A then and now of my where my day job is. 

This is the Savannah shops of the Central of Georgia. There’s a lot gone sure, thanks to age, Southern Railway, city development etc, but there’s still so much left. Half the buildings are pre-civil war and still stand. We run steam, diesel, turntable still operates and the site is still very much alive. A true testament to preservation/restoration. If you’ve been here I hope you enjoyed it! If you haven’t, I sincerely hope you get the chance to! 

I’ll post more photos as time goes by, mostly older photos of course, but I still take some when I remember to. Hope you enjoy and I’m glad to be here.

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Interior view of the paintshops

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Foggy morning

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New deck for the turntable. Middle of July a few years ago.

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Part of our paint shops we’ve designated as a carpentry shop

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Sort of a “new track” going in. This track was originally here, then torn up by southern railway. We’ve put it back in for our handcar demo now!

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Our blacksmithing shop still being used to this day. A lot of the forgings are sold in our gift shop and we can’t keep up

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Diamond that went in a year or so ago, this connects the track from our storehouse to the rest of our track.

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New switch that was built in the last year or so

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Joseph Robinson commented on his post

Dennis DeBruler commented on Joseph's post
1955 Savannah Quadrangle @ 1:24,000

Georgia State Railroad Museum posted

Check out this historic photograph of the Turntable and Roundhouse, taken by the Historic American Engineering Record survey in 1970. 

Following the decline of steam power in favor diesel, The Central of Georgia Savannah Repair Shops were closed, and had become neglected and overgrown by the 1970s, as pictured here. 

After several of the original Repair Shop structures were demolished, a group of concerned citizens halted the destruction and part of the property was transferred to the City of Savannah. In 1978 the site was recognized as a National Historic Landmark. The Academy Award winning movie Glory, a story about the Civil War's African-American 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, was filmed on site. The success of the film sparked renewed interest in the property and in 1989 the City of Savannah asked Coastal Heritage Society to bring life back to the derelict buildings and operate it as a historic site. 

This photograph not only provides a unique glimpse into the past, but also warns of what could have become of Georgia State Railroad Museum had CHS not stepped in to preserve it! 

Photo credit: Historic American Engineering Record (Library of Congress)

Joseph Robinson shared
Joseph Robinson shared

Dennis DeBruler commented on both shares
Location: https://www.google.com/.../data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4...
This photo is from a record that has a lot more photos:
https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ga0824/
And this record has two more photos and some drawings:
https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ga0356/
Included photo: HAER GA,26-SAV,55--2
2. Photocopy of section of panoramic map of 'Savannah, Georgia 1891' showing Savannah Repair Shops; drawn and published by Augustus Koch, Morning-News Lithograph, Savannah, GA. - Central of Georgia Railway, Savannah Repair Shops & Terminal Facilities, Bounded by West Broad, Jones, West Boundary & Hull Streets, Savannah, Chatham County, GA
https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ga0356.photos.055718p/resource/

Joseph Robinson posted
From the Georgia State Railroad Museum, moving equipment around this morning. Here is our Norfolk Southern camp car.

Rick Shilling posted
Undated Georgia State Railroad Museum
Roundhouse (Central of Georgia),Savannah, Georgia.
Jim Kelling: Great museum and docent

1955/57 Garden City Quad @ 24,000

RRAdventures posted 16 photos with the comment: "Roundhouse,  Turntable,  Shops, and More all in one location— at Georgia State Railroad Museum."

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2, part of a 360 photo

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Photo 13 caused me to take a closer look to find the transfer table.

Digitally Zoomed

Digitally Zoomed

Satellite