Birmingham’s Trains, Tracks, and Rails
nowrap=0]
Birmingham is RICH in railroads!
With the recent focus on Railroad Park, we’ve developed a deeper appreciation for the unique and expansive railroad history of Birmingham. It inspired us to explore a few tracks in our area including those downtown near Morris Avenue, but also those in Bessemer, Irondale, Ensley, Fairfield, and the coal loading rail-to-barge stations in Port Birmingham (also known as Bimingport) on the Warrior River. We discovered that Birmingham Southern Railroad is one of the busiest railroads in the country. And through sites called American Rails.com, and American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, Wikipedia, Birmingham Historical Society, and an excellent local hobbyist site called Birmingham Rails, we found a list of all the railroads that continue to serve Alabama as well as the history of our railroads. There are even some interesting maps of the railroad lines. It’s amazing what we have right here in Birmingham! Even today, over 20 trains a day come right through Birmingham. We can be extremely proud of our railroad heritage!
So here’s a preview of Bob’s watercolor tribute to the railroads of Birmingham. Click through the slideshow. I think he makes our railroads look beautiful! And if you get interested in the railroads like we did, check out some of the links below. There’s lots to see just within Jefferson County!
Finally, railroads are still a leisurely way to travel and if you have the time, we can personally recommend taking the AmTrak sleeper car from Morris Avenue to Washington D.C.’s Union Station. You board at Morris Avenue in the afternoon, and arrive the next morning in the heart of Washington D.C. in the completely renovated Union Station. It’s a great trip for kids AND adults!
From American Rails.com
Class I Railroads
Amtrak (Our nation’s intercity passenger rail carrier serves Alabama.)
BNSF Railway
Canadian National Railway
CSX Transportation
Norfolk Southern Railway
Shortlines and Regional Railroads
Alabama Railroad
Alabama and Florida Railway
Alabama Great Southern Railroad
Alabama and Gulf Coast Railway
Alabama Southern Railroad
Alabama and Tennessee River Railway
Alabama Warrior Railway
Bay Line Railroad
Birmingham Southern Railroad
CG Railway
Central of Georgia Railroad
Chattahoochee Bay Railroad
Conecuh Valley Railroad
Eastern Alabama Railway
Georgia Southwestern Railroad
Huntsville and Madison County Railroad Authority
Jefferson Warrior Railroad
Luxapalila Valley Railroad
Meridian and Bigbee Railroad
Redmont Railway
Sequatchie Valley Railroad
Tennessee Southern Railroad
Terminal Railway Alabama State Docks
Three Notch Railroad
Wiregrass Central Railroad
For more information about shortlines that serve Alabama please click here to visit the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association’s website. Also, please visit the shortline railroad guide here at the site to learn more about some of the above companies.
Alabama Short Line Railroad Guide
Huntsville-Madison County Railroad Authority
Jefferson Warrior Railroad: Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.
Terminal Railway-Alabama State Docks : Headquartered in Mobile, Alabama.
Q. I’m just starting out in the rail industry. What are some of the publications that I should read?
The Pocket List of Railroad Officials
Commonwealth Business Media
50 Millstone Rd., Bldg. 400, Suite 200
East Windsor, NJ 08520
800-221-5488 ext. 7861
www.cbizmedia.com
Progressive Railroading
Trade Press Publishing Corp
2016 St. Andrews Dr.
Plainfield, IL 60544
815-230-3302
www.progressiverailroading.com
Railway Age
Simmons-Boardman Publishing
345 Hudson St., 12th Floor
New York, NY 10014
800-228-9670
www.railwayage.com
Railway Track & Structures
Simmons-Boardman
20 S. Clark St., Suite 2450
Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 466-1870
www.rtands.com
Traffic World
1230 National Press Building
Washington, DC 20045
202-783-1101
www.trafficworld.com
Trains
Kalmbach Publishing Co.
21027 Crossroads Circle
Waukesha, WI 53187
800-446-5489
www.trainsmag.com
Railroads & railroad services
- BNSF Railway
- CSX Transportation
- Norfolk Southern Railway
- AMTRAK (which has passenger trains that stop only in Birmingham)
- Alabama and Tennessee River Railway
- Birmingham Southern Railroad
- Jefferson Warrior Railroad
Formerly, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Formerly, the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad
Formerly, the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad
