Abbeville Southern Railway

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Abbeville Southern Railway

The Abbeville Southern Railway was a small railroad in southern Alabama. It was created in September 1892 to build a line from Grimes to Abbeville. The 26.9-mile route was completed in December 1893 and was operated by the Alabama Midland Railway.

History
- 1892–1893: Built as a branch from the Alabama Midland Railway at Grimes toward Abbeville.
- 1893: The line opened and was operated by the Alabama Midland Railway.
- 1901–1902: Control passed to Henry Plant’s Savannah, Florida and Western Railway, part of Plant System. In 1902 the Plant System was taken over by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL). The Abbeville branch was run as ACL’s Abbeville Branch (and later freight-only), connecting at Grimes with the Waycross–Montgomery Line.
- 1967: ACL merged with Seaboard Air Line to form Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL). The branch became the Grimes Subdivision; freight service continued and gradually declined.
- 1979: The local passenger/freight service (trains 641/640) was removed from the timetable, and the branch was operated more loosely.
- 1980s: SCL merged with Chessie System to form CSX Transportation. CSX later planned to abandon the line.
- 1989: Stone Container Corporation, owner of a woodchip mill near Abbeville and parent of the Bay Line Railroad, bought the branch to preserve service. It organized the Abbeville–Grimes Railway Company; Rail Services Inc. operated the line with Bay Line locomotives.
- 1994: The Bay Line was sold to Rail Management Corporation, and the line became the Abbeville–Grimes Railway (A&G Railroad), still using Bay Line equipment.
- 1996: The A&G was merged into the Bay Line Railroad; Bay Line continues to operate the line today.

Historic stations
The line served several stations, including Grimes (junction with Alabama Midland), Headland, Newville, Capps (Choctawhatchee), and Abbeville.