Savannah & Memphis Railroad A 55-mile line between Opelika and Goodwater, Alabama, the S&M began in 1854 as the Opelika and Talladega Railroad. After failing to construct any track, the O&T was reorganized in 1861 as the Opelika and Tuscumbia Railroad, just as the Civil War erupted. In 1866, after the conflict ended, the O&T was reorganized again, this time under the name Savannah and Memphis Railroad. Track construction finally began in earnest, but by 1874 the company had only reached Goodwater. In 1880, the S&M was sold at foreclosure to the Columbus & Western Railway. 1872 map (296K)   Georgia's Railroad History & Heritage. Copyright, Steve Storey. Railroad History | The Depot List | Locomotives On Display | Odds & Ends | Sources & References | Home