This abandoned line forms the southern part of The Huntsville Branch. It ends at Hobbs Island on the Tennessee River, where trains were loaded onto railroad ferries. These ferries would then float down the Tennessee River to Guntersville Landing, where the trains would be transferred back to land for the last leg of the trip to Gadsden, AL.
There were a number of switchbacks in the area due to the steep grading necessary to reach the level of the river. The segment of line between Norton and Huntsville is still operated by the Port of Huntsville Railroad.