I finally got to visit Covington, Georgia recently as I had been wanting to for years, being a fan of the tv show “In the Heat of The Night” which airs daily on syndication.
(“The Dukes of Hazzard” tv show was filmed here too).
Enjoyed visiting the Welcome Center and walking around the town with the tour map, seeing and photographing the structures that were used on the show and the town park. However, as a railfan, I was so disappointed in seeing mulitple track lines that were cut off and out of service. The tracks, which run from a northwest to southeast direction through the town are still there but paved over at the former grade crossings.
The show was filmed from the late 1980s-the mid 90s, and after a time, shooting was relocated from Hammond, Lousiana (where we see Amtrak’s “Crescent” in the opening credits) to Covington, Georgia. Often times during the episodes, you can see ex-Chessie System 1st generation geeps working in the background servicing the local industries and a number of freight cars that are in service are seen.
Did the businesses receiving rail service eventually fold and move out at the same time? Or did the rail company (CSX? NS?) “pull a Conrail” and decided that the car loadings in this town were too small to justify rail service? Looking at the multiple tracks, one could get the impression that in the not too distant past, Covington was a busy local rail spot.
CSX still has quite a few customers in Covington. HB Fuller, General Mills, Tyco, Pactiv, Hercules, Mead, and what is referred to as the cement house( I think it’s Holsom, but not sure.)
The line that was operated by the Great Walton RR has not seen a train in nearly 3 years. It ran from Porterdale to Machen where it tied in with the NS Madison District. Business went to hell, their last rail customer (a feed mill in Newborn) stopped getting railcars and went to trucks. Years ago this line had woodyards, chip mills, a feed mill, and quite a few other small industries. The track was some of the worst I’ve ever ridden on. I worked this line as a conductor when I first started my railroad career, and it sucks seeing this line in this condition.
The active line is CSX, ex Georgia Railroad, while the old Great Walton is former NS, ex Southern. At least one of the Great Walton’s former Chessie units was a WM geep with a lower short hood.
Antonio–a few months back in one of the stainless steel threads I sent you a link to a dirty Budd passenger car which was used on the Georgia Railroad super-mixed freight trains during all of the 1970’s to 1983. That coach ran thru Covington nearly every day during that time.
Thank you for your replies. I now have a better understanding as to what happened. I realize that there is still service in Covington because I saw a rail “mainline” running parallel with Interstate 20 in an east-west direction. Looked like Class 3 track.
But the fork or spur line that branches off of the mainline and heads southeast into Downtown Covington itself is what had me curious as to why it’s been put out of service. Understandably, since railroads are taxed for every active mile of track that is owned, it would make sense to cut off spurs with no customers.
Garr, yes I remember that photo and appreciated you sending it to me. Neat to know that passenger car ran regularly in the Covington area. I wonder now if that was one of the cars that ran in the Florida to Chicago “Southwind” streamliner back in the day.
I know this is wishful, expensive thinking…but it is too bad that since this is a colorful, and now famous town that a tourist/museum type of service was not implemented. I studied the line and noticed that it is circuititous with a lot of curves, but it also goes through some very attractive “country scenery”, which is a feature that tourists and even locals would fine appealing on a tourist or dinner train. Seems like there was potential, but I do realize that the costs for revamping rail lines nowadays, even for Class 2 trackage, can run in the millions of dollars.
One cool thing regarding the relationship to “In The Heat of The Night” was that the track (now paved over) ran within yards of “Harriet DeLong’s house” on the show. The house is still in its red color.
Thank you for your replies. I now have a better understanding as to what happened. I realize that there is still service in Covington because I saw a rail “mainline” running parallel with Interstate 20 in an east-west direction. Looked like Class 3 track.
But the fork or spur line that branches off of the mainline and heads southeast into Downtown Covington itself is what had me curious as to why it’s been put out of service. Understandably, since railroads are taxed for every active mile of track that is owned, it would make sense to cut off spurs with no customers.
Garr, yes I remember that photo and appreciated you sending it to me. Neat to know that passenger car ran regularly in the Covington area. I wonder now if that was one of the cars that ran in the Florida to Chicago “Southwind” streamliner back in the day.
I know this is wishful, expensive thinking…but it is too bad that since this is a colorful, and now famous town that a tourist/museum type of service was not implemented. I studied the line and noticed that it is circuititous with a lot of curves, but it also goes through some very attractive “country scenery”, which is a feature that tourists and even locals would fine appealing on a tourist or dinner train. Seems like there was potential, but I do realize that the costs for revamping rail lines nowadays, even for Class 2 trackage, can run in the millions of dollars.
One cool thing regarding the relationship to “In The Heat of The Night” was that the track (now paved over) ran within yards of “Harriet DeLong’s house” on the show. The house is still in its red color.
Thank you for your replies. I now have a better understanding as to what happened. I realize that there is still service in Covington because I saw a rail “mainline” running parallel with Interstate 20 in an east-west direction. Looked like Class 3 track.
But the fork or spur line that branches off of the mainline and heads southeast into Downtown Covington itself is what had me curious as to why it’s been put out of service. Understandably, since railroads are taxed for every active mile of track that is owned, it would make sense to cut off spurs with no customers.
Garr, yes I remember that photo and appreciated you sending it to me. Neat to know that passenger car ran regularly in the Covington area. I wonder now if that was one of the cars that ran in the Florida to Chicago “Southwind” streamliner back in the day.
I know this is wishful, expensive thinking…but it is too bad that since this is a colorful, and now famous town that a tourist/museum type of service was not implemented. I studied the line and noticed that it is circuititous with a lot of curves, but it also goes through some very attractive “country scenery”, which is a feature that tourists and even locals would fine appealing on a tourist or dinner train. Seems like there was potential, but I do realize that the costs for revamping rail lines nowadays, even for Class 2 trackage, can run in the millions of dollars.
One cool thing regarding the relationship to “In The Heat of The Night” was that the track (now paved over) ran within yards of&nb
The branch line ran from Porterdale to Macon via Milledgeville. It crossed and connected with the CofG Athens to Macon line at Machen. The section from Machen to Eatonton was pulled up in the late 60’s or early 70’s.
That car’s first “primetime” use was on the Crescent up to 1969(?) as part of the West Point Route’s contribution to the car pool. The Crescent originally ran over the A&WP/WofA/L&N on the southern potion of its run between Atlanta and New Orleans. After 1969 the Crescent was rerouted over an all Southern Railway route thru Birmingham instead of the Montgomery route of the West Point Route and L&N.
Shortly after its retirement from the Crescent service, the coach along with one of its companions was sold to the Georgia Railroad for their second “primetime” career as the coaches on the daily Georgia Railroad Super Mixed trains between Augusta and Atlanta. This service is where the coach acquired its patina of Georgia red clay.