This abandoned railway branched from the mainline at Lyerly as part of the Central of Georgia's Chattanooga District. It was abandoned in the 1920s.
Thanks to Harold Holiman for contributing information about this route.
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You can still see the ROW in Lyerly where the branch departed the main and at a couple of places in the country between Lyerly and Dewey; you can still find cuts and fills of the line.
Harold Holiman LaFayette, GA 10/8/2010
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The branch line which departed the Chattanooga District at Lyerly, GA was originally planned to extend to Gadsden, AL. The line was completed as far as Dewey Alabama in 1890, when construction stopped due to the Panic (depression) of 1890. The economy rose a little in 1892 only to be followed by a deeper Panic (depression) in 1893, thus construction was never resumed past Dewey to Gadsden. The Town of Lyerly was chartered in 1891 "at the junction of the railroads from; Chattanooga, Rome, and Gadsden", although the Gadsden line was never completed. I cannot find documation of when the Lyerly to Dewey branch was abandonded but it is believed to be the late 1920's or around 1930. The 1900 era depot at Dewey is still standing in very poor condition and greatly remodeled over the past 110+ years. I have a picture of the depot if I knew how to post it to this site.
Harold
Harold Holiman LaFayette, GA 4/23/2011
I wish you could post that pic of the depot. I have searched extensively for any remains of that line, I have several photographs of the area including aerials from the '40's. I hope to be back in the area sometime around June 2012. Get in touch if you can and we'll see if we can get together and compare notes.
Darin Autry Conifer, CO 2/29/2012