Author Topic: Need a little bitty chemical industry that is really busy?  (Read 340 times)

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Specter3

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Need a little bitty chemical industry that is really busy?
« on: January 18, 2026, 10:32:34 AM »
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Visiting my MIL for my Wife’s aunt’s funeral(expected, she lived a long and full life) we were poking around on the NS line from Opelika, AL to Columbus, GA around the old tire plant. They still have Southern era type D signals up.

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When we got home I was using google to look at some things and found this place in Columbus GA.

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Once again Ed’s law shows its head. But great little industry that would be fairly easy to model that uses a lot of tank cars. Even to the point of one unloading spot outside their fence.

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If you want to have a look for yourself:

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aikorob

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Re: Need a little bitty chemical industry that is really busy?
« Reply #1 on: January 18, 2026, 06:46:01 PM »
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If you take a look just west of there, across the yard, you find Goldens' Cast Iron. Busy little foundry wedged in a corner. They are the makers of Kamado cookers.
Columbus still has street rails to cross the river at 9th street ---used to service the brick plants in Phenix City

packers#1

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Re: Need a little bitty chemical industry that is really busy?
« Reply #2 on: January 18, 2026, 07:26:29 PM »
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I just looked it up and did you realize it’s on a model railroadey switchback? Ed’s Law strikes again!!

There’s a couple similar ones around me, the BASF plant in Mauldin SC and Ethox Chemicals in Greenville, SC, but neither are as compact as the one you posted!
Sawyer
American manufacturing isn’t dead, it’s just gotten high tech

nkalanaga

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Re: Need a little bitty chemical industry that is really busy?
« Reply #3 on: January 18, 2026, 11:20:40 PM »
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That switchback used to extend a lot farther, as the abandoned right-of-way is still visible.  More industries, now gone, or an actual branch to somewhere?
N Kalanaga
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Specter3

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Re: Need a little bitty chemical industry that is really busy?
« Reply #4 on: January 19, 2026, 12:55:14 PM »
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That line winds down to a massive Mead Westvaco plant NE of Cottonwood AL. Just south of there is a EW line that still has a lift span over the Chattahoochee river with visible but overgrown trackage running east. Nothing west though.  Columbus definitely would be an interesting place to try and model with street running, multiple river crossings,  lots of industry, and many model railroady scenes.

aikorob

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Re: Need a little bitty chemical industry that is really busy?
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2026, 06:08:43 PM »
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That switchback used to extend a lot farther, as the abandoned right-of-way is still visible.  More industries, now gone, or an actual branch to somewhere?

the line to the north of the chemical plant? abandoned Southern. used  to service warehouses and then north to Manchester and beyond

Street trackage still exists @ 6th street --that goes to the river, and used to handle mills to the north (turned into lofts and Columbsu State U) and south to service a tank farm behind the civic center (gone now)

aikorob

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Re: Need a little bitty chemical industry that is really busy?
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2026, 06:19:42 PM »
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That line winds down to a massive Mead Westvaco plant NE of Cottonwood AL. Just south of there is a EW line that still has a lift span over the Chattahoochee river with visible but overgrown trackage running east. Nothing west though.  Columbus definitely would be an interesting place to try and model with street running, multiple river crossings,  lots of industry, and many model railroady scenes.

I remember trains being everywhere when I was little and Dad was stationed @ Benning.
CoG, SAL, Southern all had lines--there is a G & W shortline there now- Columbus & Chatahoochee, along with NS
the more I look at Google Earth, the more I find. Several scrap yards, a carbon plant, shingle factory, grain elevators at the river.............not to mention armor movements @ Ft. Benning