Ogeechee Railway The Ogeechee Railway is a Sylvania-based short line railroad operating 20 miles of track between Ardmore and Sylvania. (Admore is located on GA Hwy. 21, about 12 miles northwest of Springfield.) At Ardmore, the Ogeechee Railway interchanges with Norfolk Southern. The Ogeechee began operations on the line on April 15, 2008, after purchasing it from Georgia Midland Railroad. The Sylvania-Ardmore line was operated by the Ogeechee Railway (or an earlier version of that railway) from 1989 until early 2004, when Atlantic Western Transportation acquired its operations. The earlier Ogeechee also operated former Central of Georgia track from Metter to Statesboro to Dover (29 miles) beginning in 1989, former Southern Railway and Central of Georgia track from Roberta to Fort Valley beginning in 1991, former Georgia & Florida track from Midville to Oak Park (near Vidalia), and former Southern Railway track from Hawkinsville to Cochran (later abandoned). When the Ogeechee's earlier operation ended in 2004, the Midville-Oak Park line was transferred to the Heart of Georgia Railroad. The other three lines were transferred to the then-new Georgia Midland Railroad. The Ardmore-Sylvania route was originally constructed in the early 1900s by the Savannah Valley Railroad and the Brinson Railroad as parts of two longer lines. The Brinson Railroad, which had constructed a line from Savannah to the area, purchased the Savannah Valley tracks, keeping the section needed and abandoning the rest. The Brinson Railroad later became the Savannah & Northwestern, followed by the Savannah & Atlanta. The S&A was purchased by the Central of Georgia in 1951. Reporting mark: OGEE Maps: 2008 map (59K) 2000 map Statesboro area (56K) 2000 map Swainsboro area (88K)v 2000 map Hawkinsville area (24K) 2000 map Perry area (32K) No. 101 at Kildare in Effingham County. (pre-2004 photo) No. 4215 at Fort Valley. (pre-2004 photo) A couple of relics at the Ogeechee's Sylvania facilities. (pre-2004 photo) A motorcar crosses the flooded Ogeechee River during a 2003 NARCOA excursion between Dover and Metter. (Photo by Kenneth Huffines).   RailGa.com. Georgia's Railroad History & Heritage. © Steve Storey Railroad History | The Depot List | Locomotives On Display | Odds & Ends | Sources & References | Home