The Georgia Cannonball was the given name of an intercity passenger train operated by the Georgia Railroad. It was a local service which ran on the railroad's main line between Atlanta, Georgia and Augusta, Georgia. The railroad was completed between the two cities in 1845. One round trip was dropped in 1968, leaving a single daily round trip on the route.[1] The service became a mixed train on July 1, 1969.[2] Georgia Railroad declined to join Amtrak in 1971, leaving the service as one of the few intercity rail routes in America which was not operated by the new quasi-government agency.[3][4][5] The final passenger run occurred on May 6, 1983;[5][6] by then a normal trip between endpoints could take up to twelve hours.[7]

Georgia Cannonball
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
StatusDiscontinued
LocaleGeorgia, USA
First service1845 (1845)
Last serviceMay 6, 1983 (1983-05-06)
Former operator(s)Georgia Railroad
Route
TerminiAtlanta Union Station (1930) (until c. 1971)
Augusta Union Station (until c. 1968)
Average journey timevariable
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)1, 2
On-board services
Seating arrangementsCaboose (1969–1983)
Route map
Augusta Union Station
Augusta–Harrisonville Yard
Grovetown
Harlem
Thomson
Camak
Norwood
Barnett
Crawfordville
Union Point
Greensboro
Buckhead
Madison
Rutledge
Social Circle
Covington
Conyers
Lithonia
Stone Mountain
Decatur
Atlanta–Hunter St.
Atlanta Union Station

References

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  1. ^ Platte, Mark (March 27, 1983). "Disappearin' railroad blues". The Atlanta Constitution. pp. 1-G, 8-G, 9-G – via Newspapers.com.  
  2. ^ Railfan. Vol. 1. Carstens Publications. 1974. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ Edmonson, Harold A. (1972). Journey to Amtrak. Kalmbach Publishing. pp. 102–104. ISBN 978-0890240236.
  4. ^ "Passenger trains operating on the eve of Amtrak" (PDF). Trains. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 24, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Amtrak's beginnings". Classic Trains. June 5, 2001. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  6. ^ Schanche Jr., Don (April 27, 1983). "Buffs Saying 'Bye to Cry: 'All Aboard'". The Macon Telegraph. p. 1B. Retrieved August 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.  
  7. ^ Secrest, David K. (April 6, 1983). "PSC eliminates passenger train routes in state". The Atlanta Journal. p. 2B. Retrieved August 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.