| East and West Railroad of Alabama | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Alabama, Georgia |
| Track gauge | 3 ft (914 mm) originally, converted in 1890 to 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
The East and West Railroad of Alabama was a narrow gauge railroad in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia.
The Alabama end of the line began at Pell City, where it connected with what became the Southern Railway (standard gauge), and the narrow gauge Talladega and Cousa Valley Railroad. The line then passed through Broken Arrow, and headed east-northeast toward the Georgia state line. Just over it, the E&W passed through Esom Hill, then Cedartown, where it connected with the Rome and Carrollton Railroad. From Cedartown, the route included Rockmart and Taylorsville before terminating at Cartersville and a connection with the Western and Atlantic Railroad.
The line that would become the East and West Railroad of Alabama actually began at the Georgia end, with the Cartersville and Van Wert Railroad, chartered in 1868 to build a 5 ft (1,524 mm) broad gauge route from Cartersville to Prior, near the Alabama state line. The entire 45-mile (72 km) route was graded and track was first laid to Taylorsville, 14 miles (23 km) distant.