Southern Alabama Railroad

Southern Alabama Railroad

Reporting mark	SUAB
Locale	Southeast Alabama
Dates of operation	1988–2001
Predecessor	Norfolk Southern
Successor	Conecuh Valley Railroad
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge)
Length	15.04 miles (24.20 km)
Headquarters	Troy, Alabama

The Southern Alabama Railroad (reporting mark SUAB) was a shortline railroad formerly operating between a connection with CSX Transportation at Troy to Goshen, Alabama, about 15 miles (24 km). The railroad currently exists as the Conecuh Valley Railroad subsidiary of Gulf and Ohio Railways.

The railroad was controlled by Richard Abernathy, the owner of several shortlines in the South. The Southern Alabama railroad operated only at Troy, with the remainder of the line to Goshen embargoed for the majority of the shortline's operational history.

History

Originally constructed by the Mobile and Girard Railroad (later Central of Georgia) from Columbus to Searight between 1870 - 1891, the line eventually connected with the Louisville and Nashville Railroad at Andalusia, Alabama. The Central of Georgia became part of the Southern Railway in 1963, and the Southern Railway became part of the Norfolk Southern Railway in 1990.

The line between Goshen and Gantt was abandoned September 13, 1982. The segment between Troy and Goshen was then sold to the Abernathy Group on October 31, 1988.^[1] Abandonment of the Hurtsboro to Troy portion by Norfolk Southern occurred March 8, 1989, leaving CSX in Troy as the only other railroad connection to the Southern Alabama railroad.

The railroad was sold to Gulf & Ohio Railways and renamed the Conecuh Valley Railroad on November 7, 2001.^[2][3]

References

1. Lewis, Edward A. (1996). American Shortline Railway Guide (5 ed.). Kalmbach Publishing Company. p. 292. ISBN 0-89024-290-9.
2. "Conecuh Valley Railroad". 7 May 2009. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
3. "STB Finance Docket No. 34106". 14 November 2001. Retrieved 8 September 2010.