The Riceboro Turn is heading south on the Everett Sub at Richmond Hill, Georgia. It is the Summer of 1985. Unknown to me at this time was the decision to close the "S" Line south of Riceboro. The route is still open at this time, but not for very long. We had just missed a "Pig" Train heading south Here when we went for Burgers. (We had no Scanner at this time) Had I known about the coming abandonment of this route, I sure would have caught that Intermodal Train instead of going for Burgers!!! You wouldnt have thought this line was up for abandonment as work was going on right here. (Tie renewal) Today, the route still extends to Riceboro and is operated by a Shortline Company. The route is gone from Riceboro to just north of Kingsland, at Seals, Georgia. This was once the Racetrack of the Seaboard Air Line, but was quickly deemed surplus trackage after the SCL Merger. Amtrak ran here until late in 1979. The end was announced in 1983, as the "New" Seaboard System began a program to get rid of excess trackage. This route was one of the first to get the Ax. Not very long after this, the "S" line north of Raliegh, NC suffered the same fate. |