by Bill Thomas

For starters, let me apologize especially to Jim Pearson for the horrible composition of my photo below.
As I often do, I was heading out the door when I heard the train approaching. So I could get a close up view, I backed out of the driveway and got to the crossing, missing the locomotives. I see a variety of rolling stock, but these Family Lines cars are some of my favorites. I know it’s not the original L&N beautiful blue with the yellow italics lettering, but, it stirs up memories of following the old Hook & Eye line between Marietta and Blue Ridge, GA, during my teen years, 1978-83. The Southern Railway was the only other railroad I knew anything about. There was always something cool about watching local trains on light rails run through the north Georgia mountains. Although I vaguely remember F units at Ellijay, it was the GP38s and 40s that caught most of my attention with those classic EMD road switcher lines. 6-axle units were prohibited on the line due to weight and gauge issues. So, without apology, my favorite post-merger image is still the dark gray, red, and yellow Family Lines scheme, complete with the SCL/L&N, Georgia Clinchfield West Point Route (poor little Western Railway of Alabama got left out other than its association with the West Point).

Historically, the Family Lines was never really a railroad. It was a marketing scheme by the “family”
of railroads which were allied to improve service. The name survived 10 years, 1972-1982, falling one year
after my high school graduation. Now, 44 years later, I’m glad to see some remnants of those days, and now, a CSX heritage unit, rolling past my home in Madisonville, KY. It does this train nerd’s heart good.

Note: a large portion of this line is now served by The Georgia Northeastern RR, owned by Patriot Rail.