The
Silver Comet Trail was built over an abandoned
rail line in northwest Georgia. At the state
line, it connects to the Chief
Ladiga Trail in northeast Alabama. Both
trails were built on connected rail lines
that carried passengers and freight throughout
the south and southeastern United States.
- 1897 - Original rail line (the
original brick tunnel still exists under
Brushy Mt. Road, just north of the current
Silver Comet Brushy Mt. Tunnel)
- 1947 - 1969 - Silver Comet passenger
service
- 1989 - CSX Railroad discontinued over
37 miles of rail in Cobb, Paulding, and
Polk counties
- 1992 - Abandoned rail line purchased
by Georgia DOT; Cobb County leased rail
line from GDOT for non-motorized tail
use
- 1998 - Trail construction started in
Smyrna, Cobb County; the first section
of trail was very popular and is still
the busiest part of the trail
The Silver Comet Trail was named after
the Silver Comet passenger train. It was
introduced by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad
in 1947. During the height of rail travel,
the trains consisted of sleek passenger,
sleeper, dining, and observation cars. People
could connect to other rail lines; therefore,
they were able to travel to to big cities
in the north, and tour areas in Florida.
Travelers enjoyed luxury accommodations,
friendly service, and still speak about
the very scenic route. The Silver Comet
traveled through small towns, thick forests,
open farmlands, and big cities. Passengers
remember parts of the trail, the local depots
(some still exist), and are thrilled to
be able to enjoy the trail again.
When rail travel declined, the Silver Comet
discontinued the sleeper, dining, and observation
cars. The train started to carry freight
along with passengers. Eventually the trains
only carried freight. This section of rail
line closed in 1989.
In 1992, The Georgia Department of Transportation
bought the closed rail line that ran through
Cobb, Paulding, and Polk counties from CSX.
The GDOT wanted the rail line for future
transit expansion. Though future transit
use is a possibility, it was decided to
make a multi-use, non-motorized trail instead.
Cobb leased their 12.8-mile section of trail
from the GDOT, and started construction
in Smyrna in 1998.
More
Silver Comet Train History
More Silver Comet Trail History
|
