Live Oak, Perry and South Georgia Railway

Live Oak, Perry & South Georgia Railway (reporting mark LOPSG) was a 123-mile-long Class III railroad that operated freight service in the U.S. between Florida and Georgia from its 1971 creation, which was the result of a merger, until it was merged into the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) in 1994. The line formerly owned three General Electric 70-ton switchers, LOP&G owning #300 and #301 while the South Georgia owned 202, which was later renumbered to #292 when the Southern acquired the Central of Georgia RR due to a numbering conflict. LOP&G #301 was sold in 1956 while the other two 70-ton switchers were retired in 1969. The LOP&G also owned two EMD GP9s that were built as part of the Southern's order for the same, with these units becoming #302 and #303, but they were later renumbered when the CofG was acquired to #298 and #299, and renumbered again when Southern consolidated their early Geep fleet, being renumbered SOU #6250 and #6251 in the early-1970s. Both of these units were retired in 1983.[1] Operations over the lines were managed by the Southern Railway (SOU) and later by successor NS.

History

The Live Oak, Perry & South Georgia (LOP&SG), which ran from Live Oak to Springdale, Florida and Adel, Georgia, was created on December 31, 1971 after the merger of the Live Oak, Perry & Gulf Railroad (LOP&G) and South Georgia Railway.[2] Beginning with its creation in 1971, the railroad had freight service operated entirely by the Southern Railway, which had owned a majority of LOP&SG stock.

The LOP&G, which ran from Live Oak to Springdale, Florida, had been incorporated in October 1903 as the Live Oak & Perry Railroad and later was reorganized on June 16, 1905 as LOP&G[2]

The South Georgia Railway, which ran from Springdale, Florida to Adel, Georgia, was incorporated on March 6, 1896 and opened in October 1901.[2]

On December 31, 1990, LOP&SG's parent SOU was renamed Norfolk Southern Railway (NS). On February 5, 1994, LOP&SG and South Georgia were merged into NS.[3]

On December 15, 1995, NS sold the 80-mile section between Foley, Florida and Adel, Georgia to Gulf & Ohio Railways, which created new subsidiary, Live Oak, Perry & Georgia Railroad, to own the trackage. The Gulf & Ohio's affiliated Georgia & Florida Railroad provided locomotives for service.[4] The line today is in operation as the Georgia & Florida Railway.

References
  1. Withers, Paul K. (1997). Diesel Locomotives of the Southern Railway 1939 - 1982. Withers Publications.
  2. Lewis, Edward A. (1975). American Short Line Railway Guide. The Baggage Car. p. 29.
  3. Lewis, Edward A. (1996). American Short Line Railway Guide. Kalmbach Books. p. 358.
  4. Lewis, Edward A. (1996). American Short Line Railway Guide. Kalmbach Books. p. 179.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.