The Bowdon Railway was a

shortline railroad A shortline railroad is a small or mid-sized railroad company that operates over a relatively short distance relative to larger, national railroad networks. The term is used primarily in the United States and Canada. In the former, railroads are ...

in the United States. It was incorporated in 1910 and opened a line between

Bowdon, Georgia Bowdon is a city in Carroll County, Georgia, Carroll County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 2,161. History The community was incorporated on January ...

, and a connection with the

Central of Georgia Railway The Central of Georgia Railway started as the Central Rail Road and Canal Company in 1833. As a way to better attract investment capital, the railroad changed its name to Central Rail Road and Banking Company of Georgia. This railroad was constr ...

at Bowdon Junction, Georgia, in 1911. The company ceased operations in 1963 and the line was abandoned.

History

The Bowdon Railway was incorporated on April 9, 1910, to construct a railway line from

, northeast to a junction with the

. Its backers were all from Bowdon; J. L. Lovvorn served as president. The line was completed for operation on January 25, 1911. Prior to completion, the company hosted "an all-day barbecue and free rides on

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Germany. It is also observed in the Australian territory ...

Day, 1910." The company entered receivership in 1944 and was reorganized as the Bowdon Railroad and Transportation Company by W. C. Roop, another local businessman. The company reverted to the original name in 1953. Never a major success, the reorganized company began losing money in 1958. The last train ran on July 30, 1963. Roop blamed competition from trucks and a lack of demand for rail service.

Notes

References

* * Defunct Georgia (U.S. state) railroads {{US-rail-company-stub