Bay Line Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Bay Line Railroad is one of several short line railroad companies owned by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. It operates between Panama City, Florida
, and Dothan, Alabama
, including a branch from Grimes
to Abbeville, Alabama
, reached via trackage rights
on CSX
's Dothan Subdivision between Dothan
and Grimes
. The line interchanges with CSX's PA Subdivision at Cottondale, Florida
, and their Dothan Subdivision
at the trackage rights section near Dothan, Alabama. It also interchanges with the Chattahoochee Bay Railroad in Dothan.
A wide variety of commodities are carried, including aggregates, brick, cement, chemicals, coal, food and feed products, forest products, metallic ores and minerals, steel, and scrap.
Constructed beginning in 1906 as the Atlanta & St. Andrews Bay Railway the railroad completed its mainline between Dothan and Panama City in 1908 for a distance of 82 miles (132 km). Connections were made with three Class I
railroads; the Louisville & Nashville, the Central of Georgia
, and the Atlantic Coast Line
.
and South Alabama
. Chief among them was A. B. Steele, who created the railroad on February 14, 1906 to build south out of Dothan towards the Gulf Coast. The railroad was completed on July 15, 1908, and Panama City
was incorporated the following year at the terminus of the line. Plans were soon made to extend the railroad north to Atlanta
, however financial difficulties and pressure from the Central of Georgia railroad put an end to any plans for extension.
Later, the railroad came under the control of Minor C. Keith
of the United Fruit Company
. Control of the railroad was maintained until 1931, after which it was purchased by International Paper
. After acquiring the railroad, International Paper constructed a paper mill near Panama City and upgraded the railroad to handle traffic generated by the new plant.
World War II
brought about a considerable increase in traffic on the A&SAB. Several military bases in the vicinity of Panama City ensured the Bay Line would remain a hotbed of activity for the duration of the war. Shortly after the war in 1947, the A&SAB was granted Class I status.
service began in 1962 with the construction of ramps at Panama City and Cottondale. Additional expansion came with the construction of a branch line
to Graceville
in 1971. In 1979 International Paper sold the railroad to Southwest Forest Industries, and the railroad changed hands again with the sale of Southwest Forest Industries to the Stone Container Corporation in 1987.
In 1989, Stone Container Corporation purchased from CSX Transportation
a branch line from Grimes to Abbeville, Alabama. The new railroad, the Abbeville-Grimes Railway Company, was operated by the A&SAB. The next change came when the line was sold effective January 1, 1994 to Rail Management Corporation
and officially renamed the Bay Line Railroad.
On May 26, 2005, it was announced that all assets of Rail Management Corporation were to be bought by Genesee and Wyoming, Inc. with an effective date of June 1, 2005. The Bay Line Railroad was included in this purchase.
to Graceville was completed on July 14, 1971. Graceville was located at the terminus of the Georgiana
branch of the Louisville & Nashville
railroad. This allowed for interchange between the two railroads and access to a Southwest Forest Industries woodchip mill located in Graceville that supplied the Panama City paper mill. In addition to the woodchip mill, Gold Kist
operated a peanut mill in Graceville.
The Louisville & Nashville abandoned their line into Graceville on January 16, 1984. The Bay Line purchased the small yard and wye track in Graceville from the vacating L&N and continued serving the city. Declining traffic prompted the abandonment of the branch by the mid 1990s.
was reached via trackage rights over the Central of Georgia Railroad, from Dothan, Alabama, via Albany, Georgia
, and Macon
.
power was gone from the line. In that same year, the railroad was granted Class 1 railroad status. This had an interesting side effect of making the Bay Line the first Class 1 railroad in the United States to be 100% dieselized.
Panama City, Florida
-Personal income:The median income for a household in the city was $31,572, and the median income for a family was $40,890. Males had a median income of $30,401 versus $21,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,830...
, and Dothan, Alabama
Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
, including a branch from Grimes
Grimes, Alabama
Grimes is a town in Dale County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 459. It is part of the Enterprise–Ozark Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Grimes is located at .According to the U.S...
to Abbeville, Alabama
Abbeville, Alabama
Abbeville is a city in Henry County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Dothan, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the population was 2,688. The city is the county seat of Henry County. It is the first city alphabetically, both by city and state, in the Rand McNally...
, reached via trackage rights
Arrangements between railroads
Railway companies can interact with and control others in many ways. These relationships can be complicated by bankruptcies.-Operating:Often, when a railroad first opens, it is only a short spur of a main line. The owner of the spur line may contract with the owner of the main line for operation of...
on CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
's Dothan Subdivision between Dothan
Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
and Grimes
Grimes, Alabama
Grimes is a town in Dale County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 459. It is part of the Enterprise–Ozark Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Grimes is located at .According to the U.S...
. The line interchanges with CSX's PA Subdivision at Cottondale, Florida
Cottondale, Florida
Cottondale is a town in Jackson County, Florida, United States. The population was 869 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 865 .-Geography:Cottondale is located at ....
, and their Dothan Subdivision
Dothan Subdivision
The Dothan Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Georgia and Alabama. The line runs from Thomasville, Georgia to Montgomery, Alabama, for a distance of .- History :...
at the trackage rights section near Dothan, Alabama. It also interchanges with the Chattahoochee Bay Railroad in Dothan.
A wide variety of commodities are carried, including aggregates, brick, cement, chemicals, coal, food and feed products, forest products, metallic ores and minerals, steel, and scrap.
History
Class I railroad
A Class I railroad in the United States and Mexico, or a Class I rail carrier in Canada, is a large freight railroad company, as classified based on operating revenue.Smaller railroads are classified as Class II and Class III...
railroads; the Louisville & Nashville, the Central of Georgia
Central of Georgia Railroad
The Central of Georgia Railway started as the Central Rail Road and Canal Company in 1833. As a way to better attract investment capital, the railroad changed its name to Central Rail Road and Banking Company of Georgia. This railroad was constructed to join the Macon and Western Railroad at...
, and the Atlantic Coast Line
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
.
Early years
As with many railroads in the region, the A&SAB began in the minds of timber investors and land developers seeking to access the agricultural resources of the Florida PanhandleFlorida Panhandle
The Florida Panhandle, an informal, unofficial term for the northwestern part of Florida, is a strip of land roughly 200 miles long and 50 to 100 miles wide , lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia also on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is...
and South Alabama
South Alabama
South Alabama is a term used to describe various parts of southern Alabama. Its usage does not however reflect a strictly defined geographic region...
. Chief among them was A. B. Steele, who created the railroad on February 14, 1906 to build south out of Dothan towards the Gulf Coast. The railroad was completed on July 15, 1908, and Panama City
Panama City, Florida
-Personal income:The median income for a household in the city was $31,572, and the median income for a family was $40,890. Males had a median income of $30,401 versus $21,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,830...
was incorporated the following year at the terminus of the line. Plans were soon made to extend the railroad north to Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, however financial difficulties and pressure from the Central of Georgia railroad put an end to any plans for extension.
Later, the railroad came under the control of Minor C. Keith
Minor Cooper Keith
Minor Cooper Keith was a U.S. railroad, fruit, and shipping magnate whose business activities had a profound impact in Central America and in Colombia.- Early life :...
of the United Fruit Company
United Fruit Company
It had a deep and long-lasting impact on the economic and political development of several Latin American countries. Critics often accused it of exploitative neocolonialism and described it as the archetypal example of the influence of a multinational corporation on the internal politics of the...
. Control of the railroad was maintained until 1931, after which it was purchased by International Paper
International Paper
International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 59,500 employees, and it is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.-History:...
. After acquiring the railroad, International Paper constructed a paper mill near Panama City and upgraded the railroad to handle traffic generated by the new plant.
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
brought about a considerable increase in traffic on the A&SAB. Several military bases in the vicinity of Panama City ensured the Bay Line would remain a hotbed of activity for the duration of the war. Shortly after the war in 1947, the A&SAB was granted Class I status.
Post-war era
TOFCIntermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...
service began in 1962 with the construction of ramps at Panama City and Cottondale. Additional expansion came with the construction of a branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
to Graceville
Graceville, Florida
Graceville is a city in Jackson County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,402 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
in 1971. In 1979 International Paper sold the railroad to Southwest Forest Industries, and the railroad changed hands again with the sale of Southwest Forest Industries to the Stone Container Corporation in 1987.
In 1989, Stone Container Corporation purchased from CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
a branch line from Grimes to Abbeville, Alabama. The new railroad, the Abbeville-Grimes Railway Company, was operated by the A&SAB. The next change came when the line was sold effective January 1, 1994 to Rail Management Corporation
Rail Management Corporation
Rail Management Corporation , based in Panama City Beach, Florida, was a holding company of short line railroads in the southeastern United States.- History :...
and officially renamed the Bay Line Railroad.
On May 26, 2005, it was announced that all assets of Rail Management Corporation were to be bought by Genesee and Wyoming, Inc. with an effective date of June 1, 2005. The Bay Line Railroad was included in this purchase.
Graceville branch
Construction of the branch spanning 7 miles (11.3 km) from Campbellton, FloridaCampbellton, Florida
Campbellton is a town in Jackson County, Florida, United States. The population was 212 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Campbellton is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of...
to Graceville was completed on July 14, 1971. Graceville was located at the terminus of the Georgiana
Georgiana, Alabama
Georgiana is a town in Butler County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the town was 1,737.-Geography:Georgiana is located at 31°38'24.313" North, 86°44'21.991" West .According to the U.S...
branch of the Louisville & Nashville
Louisville and Nashville Railroad
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business...
railroad. This allowed for interchange between the two railroads and access to a Southwest Forest Industries woodchip mill located in Graceville that supplied the Panama City paper mill. In addition to the woodchip mill, Gold Kist
Gold Kist
Gold Kist was a large chicken producing company in the United States south. It was founded in 1933 by D.W. Brooks, a University of Georgia agronomy instructor as the Cotton Producers Association, a cooperative to help farmers in Carrollton, Georgia, market cotton. It soon grew and diversified...
operated a peanut mill in Graceville.
The Louisville & Nashville abandoned their line into Graceville on January 16, 1984. The Bay Line purchased the small yard and wye track in Graceville from the vacating L&N and continued serving the city. Declining traffic prompted the abandonment of the branch by the mid 1990s.
Abbeville branch
Stone Container Corporation purchased the line between Grimes and Abbeville on March 1, 1989. The primary source of traffic is a woodchip mill near Abbeville, which provides woodchips for the Panama City paper mill. The Bay Line accesses the Abbeville & Grimes branch via trackage rights with CSX between Grimes and Dothan. On January 1, 1994 Stone Container Corporation sold the Bay Line railroad to Rail Management Corporation. Included in the sale was the 27 miles (43.5 km) from Abbeville to Grimes. The A&G was formally merged into the Bay Line on June 26, 1996.Passenger service
Throughout its history the line's primary business was freight hauling; however, passenger service was available from the line's inception until 1957. AtlantaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
was reached via trackage rights over the Central of Georgia Railroad, from Dothan, Alabama, via Albany, Georgia
Albany, Georgia
Albany is a city in and the county seat of Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. It is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia metropolitan area and the southwest part of the state. The population was 77,434 at the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the...
, and Macon
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
.
Motive power
The railroad was an early adopter of diesel power. By 1947, all steam locomotiveLocomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
power was gone from the line. In that same year, the railroad was granted Class 1 railroad status. This had an interesting side effect of making the Bay Line the first Class 1 railroad in the United States to be 100% dieselized.