Railroad Nicknames Many railroads had nicknames, both official and unofficial. Official nicknames were created for marketing purposes; these were often printed on schedules or painted on railcar sides. Unofficial nicknames were mostly jibes at the rail companies, usually inspired by their initials. Official Nicknames Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic The Bee Line Atlanta, Birmingham & Coast The ABC Atlanta, Knoxville & Northern Hiawassee Route Atlanta & West Point West Point Route, also Atlanta & New Orleans Short Line Atlantic Coast Line The Standard Railroad of the South Atlantic, Valdosta & Western Jacksonville Short Line Bainbridge Northern The Lumber Line Central of Georgia The Right Way Chattanooga Southern The Pigeon Mountain Route East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia The Great Kennesaw Route Gainesville & Northwestern The Nacoochee Valley Route Georgia & Alabama Savannah Short Line Georgia, Florida & Alabama The Sumatra Leaf Route Georgia Railroad The Stone Mountain Route Georgia Southern & Florida The Suwanee River Route Hawkinsville & Florida Southern The Pine Belt Route Louisville & Nashville The Old Reliable Macon & Birmingham The Pine Mountain Route Macon, Dublin & Savannah The Vidalia Route Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis The Dixie Line, also Lookout Mountain Route Richmond & Danville Piedmont Air Line South Carolina & Georgia The Charleston Line Tallulah Falls Rabun Gap Route Tennessee, Alabama & Georgia The TAG Route Waycross & Southern The Okefinokee Route Unofficial Nicknames Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic (AB&A) Always Busted & Anxious Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) Always Comes Late East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia (ETV&G) Eat Turnips, Vinegar & Greens Fitzgerald, Ocilla & Broxton (FO&B) Fall Off & Bust Georgia Coast & Piedmont (GC&P) Get a Crowd & Push Georgia & Florida (G&F) God Forsaken Georgia, Florida & Alabama (GF&A) Gophers, Frogs & Alligators Georgia Southern & Florida (GS&F) Go Slow & Flag Live Oak, Perry & Gulf (LOP&G) Lean Over, Push & Grunt Louisville & Nashville (L&N) Late & Never Louisville & Nashville (Etowah-Marietta line) The Hook & Eye Line Macon, Dublin & Savannah (MDS) Mighty Damn Slow Savannah & Atlanta (S&A) Slow & Aggravating Seaboard Air Line (SAL) Surely Always Late Seaboard Coast Line (SCL) Service Customers Lack Seaboard System (SBD) Slowly Breaking Down Tallulah Falls (TF) Total Failure Tifton, Thomasville & Gulf (TT&G) Turtles, Terrapins & Gophers Wrightsville & Tennille (W&T) Wiggle & Twist Notes: • The name Great Kennesaw Route could refer to either the Western & Atlantic or the East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia. • The Hook & Eye referred to a sharp curve and a loop on the L&N line between Marietta, GA, and Etowah, TN. • The "SBD" of Seaboard System Railroad was that railroad's "reporting mark." These are standard codes, assigned by the Association of American Railroads, consisting of two to four letters designating individual railroads. The codes are stenciled on railcars. Often the railroad's initials were also its reporting mark. RailGa.com. Georgia's Railroad History & Heritage. © Steve Storey Railroad History | The Depot List | Locomotives On Display | Odds & Ends | Sources & References | Home