The SAM Shortline offers a relaxing trip on the Heart of Georgia Railroad through the small towns of southwest Georgia. The train leaves from Cordele, and along the way, you travel through the towns of Leslie, Americus, Archery, and Plains, the home of President Jimmy Carter.
Choices
There are several different excursion trains, and each one stops for a layover in a different town along the route. Trains leave from either the depot in Cordele or from Georgia Veterans State Park. You can also board at several depots along the route. SAM offers coach, premium, and VIP lounge seating. Coach class provides bench seating. Premium seating is in the Americus car and features tables and chairs. Lounge seating is in the Samuel H. Hawkins car, and it offers lounges, booths, tables, and an observation area. All the cars are climate-controlled.
When to go
Most trains run on Saturdays as well as on many Fridays, February through December. Candy Cane and other Christmas specials operate in December.
Good to know
Why SAM? The original railroad was the Savannah, Americus & Montgomery Railroad built during the 1880s and headed by Colonel Samuel Hugh Hawkins of Americus.
Worth doing
In Americus, you can visit Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village, and if you want to make a longer trip, the Andersonville National Historic Site and National POW Museum is 11 miles northeast.
Don’t miss
The Peanut Express stops in Plains, and the Presidential Flyer goes to Archery, where you can visit Jimmy Carter’s childhood farm. In Plains, the Seaboard Coast Line depot was his campaign headquarters during the 1976 election.
Getting there
Cordele is about 140 miles south of Atlanta. To reach the Cordele depot, from Interstate 75, take Exit 101 and go west on Highway 280 for 1 mile. Turn right and head north on Highway 41 for another mile and turn right after the first set of railroad tracks. Georgia Veterans State Park is west on Highway 280 about 8 miles past Cordele.
Location: 105 9th Avenue East, Cordele, GA
Phone: 229-276-0755
Website: samshortline.com
E-mail: Form on website
