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[Alex]

Not surprised at IH 20 Being on there considering all the Freeway shootings that happen on 20 in the Atlanta area.

Interstate 20 apparently has a history with shootings. Does anyone recall the I-20 Sniper incidents from February 1987?



I saw this while dubbing some VHS tapes for my friend Matt earlier this year. This screen shot was from Channel 2 Action News where a high school kid got caught shooting at cars, and they determined that he was not the "I-20 Sniper".

[Ted$8roadFan]

For the love of God, can GDOT start plans to widen IH 75 to 8 lanes from Kennesaw up to Chattanooga? My goodness it was irritating to drive through there on a Sunday night because of all the Truck Traffic. The Chattanooga area has moved up to places I avoid to drive through because of the Traffic!

IIRC, I have seen it is in GDOT's long-term plans (maybe the next 10-30 years) to widen that section of I-75 to eight lanes. Hopefully it'll be more like 10 years than 30 years (or even sooner), because the area only continues to grow (and ditto for long-distance traffic on the road), and the traffic can be cumbersome at times.

Having experienced Atlanta-area traffic last month, I agree GA needs to expand all of its interstates that flow to and through the city and beyond.

[Voyager75]

Traveling on I-75 North at Exit 16 yesterday I noticed these overheads with a ghost image of a GA shield. I take it they were for GA-38 at one time? Street View only goes back to 2008 but it was gone by then too.

https://imgur.com/a/cX7pVz9

That aside, these overheads have held up remarkably well.

[architect77]

Traveling on I-75 North at Exit 16 yesterday I noticed these overheads with a ghost image of a GA shield. I take it they were for GA-38 at one time? Street View only goes back to 2008 but it was gone by then too.

https://imgur.com/a/cX7pVz9

That aside, these overheads have held up remarkably well.

A removed state highway shield isn't what's so remakrable about this photo. It's the cantilevered support that GDOT completely stopped erecting 20 years ago after the Jimmy Carter overhead fell and killed someone. These cantilevered supports should be re-embraced because they are cheaper, obstruct less view of the sky and surrounding landscape, and are downright elegant in their simple engineering physicality.

The only downside is that the bolts connecting the base to the ground foundation must be inspected every 5-10 years to ensure safety.

I hate seeing a rural exit on an interstate in Georgia with a small overhead sign that's supported on both sides. It's just irks me to no end.

[Alex]

Traveling on I-75 North at Exit 16 yesterday I noticed these overheads with a ghost image of a GA shield. I take it they were for GA-38 at one time? Street View only goes back to 2008 but it was gone by then too.

https://imgur.com/a/cX7pVz9

That was for SR 94, which was truncated to the east after 2004.



01/16/14

[roadwaywiz95]

For this upcoming weekend's Webinar presentation, we'll be taking a look at the freeway system of northern Georgia and the Atlanta metropolitan area. Coverage will begin on Saturday (1/7) at 5 PM ET (please note the start time) and will feature live contributions from members of this forum; we hope to see you there!

[D-Dey65]

Does anybody even use the railroad line shown here?

If not, why leave the crossing signals up?

[Dirt Roads]

Does anybody even use the railroad line shown here?

If not, why leave the crossing signals up?

No rails at this location.  Not sure what railroad that was, but it ran roughly parallel to the Chattanooga & Chickamauga Railway (which is still operating).  Your railroad here has been abandoned, but there are sections of track still in place at various places and even some crossing panels still remain in a few roads.  All of the rails are gone at the various crossings where the line crossed GA-193 at grade.  For the record, most railroads will indicate that the State owns the railroad crossing and all warning devices, so it is the responsibility of the State to pay the Railroad for the removal of said appurtenances when the railroad is abandoned.  That's not going to happen, folks.  The State will pay for the removal of rails through the former crossings in order to simplify road maintenance.

[Bobby5280]

I'm surprised any railroad company, property owner or the state bothers to leave any rails in place on a stretch of decommissioned rail line. The steel in old rails can be recycled; it does have a dollar value to it. Rails are harder to dig out of a paved railroad crossing, but I see that done sometimes. If they deem it to be not worth the trouble they might pave new layers of asphalt over it.

We have a few decommissioned rail lines around here. Some leave little evidence they previously existed other than a raised berm and maybe rows of trees and bushes growing up alongside it. The rails get ripped out along with the metal fasteners and spikes. And then they even plow up the wooden sleepers too. One line here going South out of Lawton toward Walters is like that.

The lighted railroad crossing signals have substantial value, especially the ones with overhead gantries. Any along decommissioned track usually disappear in short order, either to be re-used elsewhere (or for spare parts) or be scrapped/recycled. ODOT and county road crews are usually good at getting rid of crossbucks on wood posts too.

[Rothman]

Up here in NY, CSX was hoping to sell a line heading north out of Syracuse to another railway.  They were letting crossings and the like fall into disrepair in anticipation of whatevee the deal was going to be.  Deal fell through and CSX is now scrambing with the maintenance backlog.

The way private rail companies manage their aasets -- whether active or decommissioned -- is intriguing, but it's all about following the money and reading the tea leaves about demand in the future.

[Dirt Roads]

I'm surprised any railroad company, property owner or the state bothers to leave any rails in place on a stretch of decommissioned rail line. The steel in old rails can be recycled; it does have a dollar value to it. Rails are harder to dig out of a paved railroad crossing, but I see that done sometimes. If they deem it to be not worth the trouble they might pave new layers of asphalt over it.

Two issues here:  (1) The last railroad entity might not have any money left to bother picking out salvageable assets; or (2) some or all of the railroad right-of-way is on property where the ownership reverts back to the "original" adjacent property owners when the rail is removed. 

There have been numerous cases of where only one rail was salvaged and the other left intact in order to maintain a legal property rights for the railroad corridor.  Many states (perhaps all of them now) have special legislation to "railbank" certain properties in order to keep them from falling into the hands of the "original" owners. 

[Voyager75]

Does anybody even use the railroad line shown here?

If not, why leave the crossing signals up?

Started looking along this old line and here’s another south of the above pic along GA-193. One had a rare light on top of the pole which was for the hill and curve I guess.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/fHMnCobiiXnrftui8?g_st=ic

Then just as I was about to move along…crap! It’s like a peeping tom.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Uzby5DhGXX86Wq4Z6?g_st=ic

Again, this one is sitting well off the road for the curve. I’m super shocked these haven't been dismantled by hardcore railroad enthusiasts in the middle of the night. Especially the one sitting in the middle of shrubbery. I know they don’t “just come down” but piece by piece it could be done.

[Henry]

Traveling on I-75 North at Exit 16 yesterday I noticed these overheads with a ghost image of a GA shield. I take it they were for GA-38 at one time? Street View only goes back to 2008 but it was gone by then too.

https://imgur.com/a/cX7pVz9

That was for SR 94, which was truncated to the east after 2004.



01/16/14

GA 38 is co-signed with US 84 throughout the state, so it still meets I-75 at the interchange above, but just not signed on the Interstate itself.

Also, what irks me the most about freeway signs is the additional EXIT on the bottom of signs where the word is already used on the top. Other states don't do it unless the interchange is unnumbered, so this is annoying as hell.

[Georgia]

Voyager-that last picture was taken right near a house. If a car stopped along the road at night to go get that assembly, and in that area, i would expect that homeowner to come out on his porch armed to "investigate"

[Dirt Roads]

Does anybody even use the railroad line shown here?

If not, why leave the crossing signals up?

No rails at this location.  Not sure what railroad that was, but it ran roughly parallel to the Chattanooga & Chickamauga Railway (which is still operating).  Your railroad here has been abandoned, but there are sections of track still in place at various places and even some crossing panels still remain in a few roads.  All of the rails are gone at the various crossings where the line crossed GA-193 at grade.  For the record, most railroads will indicate that the State owns the railroad crossing and all warning devices, so it is the responsibility of the State to pay the Railroad for the removal of said appurtenances when the railroad is abandoned.  That's not going to happen, folks.  The State will pay for the removal of rails through the former crossings in order to simplify road maintenance.

Finally found this one.  This was a different branch of the Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia (TAG) Railway, which were the same folks that originally owned the parallel line that I mentioned above. But the correct name of the other TAG line just to the east of here is Chattooga & Chickamauga Railway.  Both lines ran between Chattanooga and LaFayette, but this abandoned line ran down to Kensington near the west portal of the Pigeon Mountain Tunnel.  And it looks like this line was also operated by the Chatooga & Chickamauga.  It operated until 2009 when a Reichold Latex plant in Kensington (owned by Dow Chemical) was shuttered.

[Bobby5280]

Up here in NY, CSX was hoping to sell a line heading north out of Syracuse to another railway.  They were letting crossings and the like fall into disrepair in anticipation of whatevee the deal was going to be.  Deal fell through and CSX is now scrambing with the maintenance backlog.

During my childhood we lived in the Syracuse suburb of Liverpool for a couple years. I remember the trains back then had Conrail branding. I think CSX was just getting started at that time.

Two issues here:  (1) The last railroad entity might not have any money left to bother picking out salvageable assets; or (2) some or all of the railroad right-of-way is on property where the ownership reverts back to the "original" adjacent property owners when the rail is removed.

Here in Oklahoma the former rail line ROW usually does just that, revert to previous property owners or the existing adjacent property owners. Even in those cases it might be worth it. Steel prices are pretty freaking high right now. Still, it's not hard to find abandoned track with the rails still there just left to rust.

[architect77]

Do you think it's possible to watch a 1926 silent movie and actually enjoy it?

Well, I did because to win the girl of his affection, the short, loveable Buster Keaton exudes all the comedic emotions necessary as he defends his train engine, The General, from Union soldiers who steal it on the Chattanooga to Marietta railway during the Civil War.

You won't get quick, instant laughs, but if patient, you will really enjoy this comedy production from beginning to end. It's amazing how much can be conveyed without words. There's very little sentences displayed on the screen, and this actor was famous for a reason, and he performed some dangerous stunts with perfection.

[Dirt Roads]

^^^ And, of course, that one is a third parallel line - the Western & Atlantic, which became part of the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway (and later part of the Louisville & Nashville, a predecessor of CSXT).

[Rothman]

Do you think it's possible to watch a 1926 silent movie and actually enjoy it?

Well, I did because to win the girl of his affection, the short, loveable Buster Keaton exudes all the comedic emotions necessary as he defends his train engine, The General, from Union soldiers who steal it on the Chattanooga to Marietta railway during the Civil War.

You won't get quick, instant laughs, but if patient, you will really enjoy this comedy production from beginning to end. It's amazing how much can be conveyed without words. There's very little sentences displayed on the screen, and this actor was famous for a reason, and he performed some dangerous stunts with perfection.

Good movie, but promoted The Lost Cause view of the war.