Gibson Jct. to Louisville - Louisville & Wadley

Looking N from the shoulder of US 1 about 2.5 miles S of Louisville, GA.  Crossties still evident in the old ROW.  (Photo from 2002)

The Louisville & Wadley was chartered on August 24, 1872 to build a 10-mile line from a Central RR connection at Wadley north to Louisville, GA. The line was completed in 1879, and the line had to be continuously subsidized to keep it out of receivership. Passenger service ended in 1953. From Wadley, the line extended through Gibson Jct., Moxley, Aldreds and into Louisville.  Service to Louisville was discontinued in 1971 due to bridge failure over Boggy Gut Creek just NE of Wadley. The track now ends short of the US 1 Bypass in Wadley, extending from the connection with Norfolk-Southern (formerly Central of Georgia) in Wadley for a total of 2 miles.  Rail service has been suspended on the remaining line and the track is in an advanced state of disrepair.

Special thanks to Julian Finley for the pictures and information on this line.

Very close to the photo at the top of the page, looking down the ROW in a swampy area near the Ogeechee River.  This ROW is being quickly reclaimed by nature!  (Photo from 2002)

The area in Louisville where the L & W ended before it was abandoned.  These cottin gins, warehouses and feed and seed mills were served by the railroad.  (Photo from 2002).