Albany and Northern Railway
| Albany and Northern Railway | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Georgia |
| Dates of operation | 1895–1971 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
The Albany and Northern Railway (A&N) began life in about 1895 on a 35 miles (56 km) stretch of railway from Cordele to Albany, Georgia. The line had originally been built around 1890 by the Albany, Florida and Northern Railway (AF&N). The AF&N was leased then to the Savannah, Americus and Montgomery Railway (SA&M) in 1892. In 1895, the SA&M went bankrupt and the AF&N was then reorganized into the Albany and Northern Railway.
In 1910, the Georgia, Southwestern and Gulf Railroad (GS&G) leased the A&N with the goal of opening a line from Cordele to the Gulf Coast. The GS&G ran into financial trouble and was dissolved in 1942 at which time the A&N ran independently again. The Southern Railway acquired the A&N and Georgia Northern Railway in 1966, and merged the former into the latter on December 31, 1971.