ATLANTA — The archives of the Southern Railway are now open to the public by appointment, the Atlanta History Center has announced, and a collection of more than 11,000 photos from the images are beginning to be made available online.
The archives were donated by Norfolk Southern Railway in 2021 [see “Norfolk Southern to donate …,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 25, 2021], which also contributed a $50,000 grant to help catalog, organize and digitize the materials.
The materials involved document the history of the Southern and its predecessors from 1828 to 2007 and span nearly 250 linear feet. They include annual reports, company publications, rule books, timetables, employee records, correspondence, and meeting minutes, among other items. As an example, more than 3,000 construction contracts detail the building of stations, rail lines, bridges, yard offices, and other structures. In a blog post announcing the opening of the archives, the History Center writes, “The construction contracts provide researchers with a conceptual understanding of the company’s overall goals by showcasing the change in operational and structural needs during different periods in time, as well as the shift in geographic locations as the company continued to grow and acquire additional railroads and companies.”
The Southern collection is open by appointment as of Jan. 23. Appointments can be made by calling (404) 814-4040 or emailing reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. The center’s Kenan Research Center is open by appointment Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
More than 2,000 of the photos from the Southern collection are now online, and others will be added throughout 2024. They can be accessed at the search page of the Atlanta History Center website.
“Look Ahead, Look South”