Gainesville & Northwestern Railroad Chartered in 1912, the G&NW built a rail line from Gainesville to Cleveland in 1913 and extended it to Robertstown (about two miles west of Helen) in 1915. The 35-mile line, nicknamed the Nacoochee Valley Route, served the lumber mills of Helen and Robertstown, as well as Cleveland, Clermont, and other communities along its route. In 1917 it was operating three locomotives, two passenger cars, and seven freight cars. The lumber business declined during the 1920s, and the other shippers along the line could not keep it in operation. The 1.5 miles between Helen and Robertstown was abandoned in 1928. The remainder was abandoned and dismantled in June of 1934. 1918 timetable (90K) 1920 map (52K) 1931 map (59K) The Gainesville & Northwestern's depot at Nacoochee, near Helen.   Georgia's Railroad History & Heritage. Copyright, Steve Storey. Railroad History | The Depot List | Locomotives On Display | Odds & Ends | Sources & References | Home