This day started like yesterday with an early breakfast before boarding the bus for Blue Ridge, Georgia over the same route that we came back yesterday. Since I knew the lighting would be better, I took a few pictures along our route.
In the canyon the highway traveled, gave this view of the narrow gauge tracks that once were used between the dam and power house.
In Copperhill the Tennessee State Line meaning I am in Georgia before we reached Blue Ridge. Once the train arrived we boarded the same car as yesterday for our trip from Blue Ridge to Tate. We departed for Tate on time.
Just to the south is the top of the grade before we started down the grade.
Our conductor in the baggage concession car telling Chris Parker that he had won the raffle for a cab ride between Ellijay and Whitestone this morning. Chris was very excited that he had won.
The train ran through the beautiful Georgia countryside.
The train went by two unique homes along our route
A L&N Milepost sign.
Views looking down the side of our train.
The train crossed Cherry Log Creek.
More views along our train's route. It was announced that we would do a Photo Runby at Ellijay. We pulled into Ellijay and unloaded the train for the Photo Runby.
There is a train station at Ellijay.
Our train was at Ellijay.
I picked the view from the hill for my Photo Runby pictures.
Georgia Northeastern 7562.
The train did the backup move.
Another view of the Ellijay Station.
Everyone is ready but not in a good photo line.
The train did the Photo Runby.
The going away view showed both our locomotives on the point of our excursion train.
My coach for today's ride.
The rear of our train during the photo runby.
One last view of the Ellijay Station. The train backed into the station area where we all reboarded.
The train crossed the Coosawattee River crossing just south of Ellijay. A stop was made to pick up box lunches.
The train ran through more of that beautiful Georgia countryside.
Views inside of my coach.
There is always something interesting along the tracks.
The train ran by the smallest cross buck that I have ever seen.
The train ran through more of the beautiful Georgia landscape. We came to our next photo runby location at Whitestone.
We unloaded along a road for the backup move.
The train did the backup move.
The train did Photo Runby 2.
The train did the backup move.
The train did Photo Runby 3.
Our staff was picking up the rope that made the photo line. We all reboarded the train.
The train ran by the Whitestone concrete plant.
A hot and humid Southern afternoon. We are now near where the old Hook once was on the Hook and Eye Line. The Hook was a 15 degree double reverse curve which took four miles to gain the two miles of our present day route. Its location was between here and Talking Rock.
The crossing of this bridge starts the trackage that was built to replace the "Hook".
The train took a more gentle routing than via the old Hook along a peaceful stream.
The train ran by a pretty rural setting.
The train came to the point where the track for the Hook used to join the mainline.
The train ran by the old siding at Talking Rock.
We ran by fields of rolled hay.
We ran through many miles of Southern Forest during the last two days of our train trips.
The train ran under a wooden bridge as our train came into Jasper.
The train came to the train station in Jasper.
The train curved into Tate.
We ran by a switcher in storage as we came into Tate.
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I took pictures of the Georgia Northeastern GP-9 6576 and Georgia Northeastern GP-38 9708 which I took a picture of on the way to the bus.
I took two pictures of the Tate Station and our excursion train from the last two days as we pulled out of Tate heading back to Chattanooga.
The buses drove together back to the Chattanooga Choo Choo. Chris and I then headed to Rossville to Beas Restaurant which my good friend Jim Nowell had told me about and said I must eat there on this trip. We were seated with two strangers who would not remain strangers for long. You sit at a round table with a Lazy Susan on top which has all the food for your meal on it. The food is changed out so it is always fresh. It was all good old Southern Homemade Food and is all you can eat. The Chicken Wish Bone meat is some of the best chicken I have ever had. We learned a lot from our new friends and we all got a very full meal and a great price. After a fantastic dinner at Beas Restaurant we returned to the Chattanooga Choo Choo where I relaxed for the rest of that evening.
