Wikipedia:WikiProject Trains/ICC valuations/Southwestern Railroad (Georgia)

Interstate Commerce Commission, Valuation Reports, Volume 130

Southwestern Railroad

Location and General Description of Property

The railroad of Southwestern Railroad Company, hereinafter referred to as the Southwestern Railroad, is a single-track, standard-gauge, steam railroad, which lies in the southwestern part of Georgia with the exception of a small portion in Alabama. The owned mileage extends from Macon, Ga., southwesterly through Fort Valley, Smithville, and Cuthbert, Ga., to Eufaula, Ala.; westwardly from Fort Valley to Columbus, Ga.; and from Smithville through Albany, Ga., to Columbia, Ala., upon the south. A branch line extends from Fort Valley to Perry, Ga., and another from Cuthbert to Fort Gaines, Ga. The total length of the main line and branches is 332.827 miles. The Southwestern Railroad also owns other main, yard, and side tracks

Corporate History

The Southwestern Railroad was incorporated under a special act of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia, approved December 27, 1845, to construct a railroad from Macon to some point intermediate between Albany and Fort Gaines, Ga., or to any point or points upon the Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers below Albany and Fort Gaines and branches thence to the two cities last named. It is also incorporated in Alabama. The organization of the company was perfected February 10, 1848. Its principal office is in Macon, Ga. By special act of the General Assembly of Alabama in 1859-1860, the Southwestern Railroad was permitted to extend its line of railroad from the west bank of the Chattahoochee River, at the point of crossing, to or near the city of Eufaula, Ala. No record of authority to build into Columbia, Ala., was found. Important amendments of the charter will be referred to in their appropriate connection in Appendix 2. Since December 1, 1869, the Southwestern Railroad has been operated under lease to other carriers. The detailed facts as to the development of the fixed physical property are given in Appendix 2.

Development of Fixed Physical Property

The property owned by the Southwestern Railroad on June 30, 1915, was acquired as follows: Merger 50 miles, purchase, direct, 47.50 miles, construction 235.25 miles, total 332.75 miles. Historically, the development in each of the ways indicated has been as follows:

Merger

The Southwestern Railroad was authorized, by special act of March 4, 1856, to merge the property and franchises of the Muscogee Railroad Company. The merger was effected on October 31, 1868, and the railroad, extending from Columbus to Butler, Ga., 50 miles in length, thereupon became a part of the Southwestern Railroad.

Purchase

A railroad between Americus and Albany, Ga., constructed under the charter of the Georgia and Florida Railway Company, was completed and turned over to the Southwestern Railroad for operation on the dates shown in the table below. The purchase was approved by special act of December 19, 1859.

Between—	Completed and opened for operation	Miles
Americus, Ga., and Sumpter City, Ga.	Dec. 1, 1856	10
Sumpter City, Ga., and Smithville, Ga.	Mar. 9, 1857	3
Smithville, Ga., and Adams, Ga.	June 9, 1857	5
Adams, Ga., and Wootens, Ga.	June 29, 1857	7
Wootons, Ga., and Albany, Ga.	Nov. 9, 1857	10.5
Total.		35.5

A line 12 miles long between Fort Valley and Perry, Ga., was acquired in 1873. This line was constructed by the Central Railroad & Banking Company of Georgia, and sold to the Southwestern Railroad either by that company or the Fort Valley & Hawkinsville Railroad Company, under whose charter it had been constructed.

Construction

Under the charter as originally granted, and amendments thereof dated February 23, 1850, and December 18, 1860, authorizing, respectively, the construction of a branch from some point on the original line to any point on the Chattahoochee River below Florence, Ga., and the construction of a branch from Albany or Dawson, Ga., to some point on the Chattahoochee River or on the Florida line, as the company might elect, mileage has been constructed by or for the Southwestern Railroad and opened for operation immediately upon completion, as follows:

Between—	Construction period	Miles
Macon and Oglethorpe, Ga.	1848-Aug. 1, 1851.	51.00
Fort Valley and Butler, Ga.	July, 1851-May 16, 1853.	21.00
Oglethorpe and Americus, Ga.	April, 1853–Oct. 1, 1854.	20.00
Smithville and Dawson, Ga.	Apr. 1, 1857–July 7, 1858.	14.50
Dawson and Wards, Ga.	June, 1857–Mar. 17, 1859.	10.25
Wards and Cuthbert, Ga.	June, 1857–June 27, 1859.	10.25
Cuthbert and Coleman, Ga.	June, 1858–Jan. 9, 1860.	10.00
Cuthbert and Morris, Ga.	May, 1858-Jan. 9, 1860.	8.625
Morris and Hatcher, Ga.	May, 1858-Mar. 26, 1860	4.625
Hatcher and Georgetown, Ga.	May, 1858-July 2, 1860.	7.875
Coleman and Fort Gaines, Ga.	June, 1858–Sept. 10, 1860.	11.625
Georgetown and Chattahoochee, Ga.	Oct. 23, 1860.	1.00
Chattahoochee, Ga., and Eufaula, Ala.	1865	2.00
Albany and Blakely, Ga.	1873	49.50
Blakely, Ga., and Columbia, Ala.	1889	13.00
Total.		234.25

With the exception of the line between Albany, Ga., and Columbia, Ala., the road was constructed by contractors who dealt directly with the Southwestern Railroad. The work between Albany and Columbia was performed by or under the supervision of the Central Railroad & Banking Company of Georgia. Since the opening of the road between Macon and Oglethorpe, the property of the Southwestern Railroad has been operated as follows: By the owner from Aug. 1, 1851, to Dec. 1, 1869; by the Central Railroad & Banking Company of Georgia from Dec. 1, 1869, to June 1, 1891; by the Richmond and Danville Railroad Company from June 1, 1891, to Mar. 4, 1892; by the receivers of the Central Railroad & Banking Company of Georgia from Mar. 4, 1892, to Nov. 1, 1895; and by the carrier from Nov. 1, 1895, to July 1, 1915.