By SHERRI SMITH BROWN

Georgia > Coastal Georgia > Chatham County > Savannah

Any railroad enthusiast will find a lot to explore at the Central of Georgia Railroad Shops and Terminal, a National Historic Landmark in Savannah.

Huge transportation complexes with shops and necessary services are not a modern concept. To understand that, just step back in time in Savannah and visit the Central Georgia Railroad Shops and Terminal.

This 32.5-acre complex, a National Historic Landmark, was begun in 1835. It is dominated by the Central of Georgia Depot and Trainshed, which were begun in 1860, before the Civil War broke out. Other notable structures, including a cotton yard and a blacksmith shop.

According to the Coastal Heritage Society:

“The Central Railroad and Canal Company was chartered in 1833. The purpose of the railroad was to bring products of Georgia to Savannah for export, especially cotton. The idea of a canal was soon dismissed, but the railroad grew rapidly. Two years later, this facility was built for the construction and maintenance of the growing fleet of steam locomotives and rail cars. By 1843, the Central Railroad & Banking Company of Georgia had constructed 190 miles of rail forming the longest continuous railroad under one management in the world. The Central also increased their rolling stock to over 50 locomotives and 500 cars, making it the second largest holding in the pre-civil war South.

“Sherman’s soldiers destroyed the Central’s rail connectors by heating rails on fires and wrapping the links around trees or telegraph poles. “Sherman’s neckties,” as they were called, were irreparable in the field. Sherman spared the Roundhouse itself and other shops with the rest of the city.

“William Wadley became president of the railroad in 1866 and rebuilt the shattered company to surpass its original glory. The destroyed rail connections were replaced and almost 1500 new miles added. The Central continued to expand and purchased the fastest train in the country, the Nancy Hanks, in 1893. In 1895, the railroad was purchased by bankers and became the Central of Georgia Railway.”

The facility was used until 1963 and turned into a museum in the 1990s, Roundhouse Railroad Museum. You can stroll through exhibits inside seven historic railroad structures and see a growing collection of locomotives and tolling stock. Interpretive displays include a large model train layout of Savannah as well as exhibits explaining steam engines and belt-driven machinery. The massive operating turntable in the middle of the Roundhouse has also been restored.

Read more about National Historic Landmarks in Georgia, the Roundhouse Railroad Museum, Savannah, and Chatham County, or find other activities in the Coastal Georgia Travel Region here at Brown’s Guides.

Tags: Civil War, museum, National Historic Landmark, railroads, Savannah

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 23rd, 2009 at 4:45 am and is filed under Museums, National Parks, Savannah. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.