On Friday evening, April 30, 1971, the storied era of passenger train service ended for Marietta, GA. At approximately 5:51 pm, Louisville and Nashville (L&N) train number four pulled out of the deserted Marietta passenger and freight station. The locomotive and a few passenger cars headed north to Chattanooga and Nashville, TN, then on to Evansville, IN, and St. Louis, MO, never to return. Northbound No. 4 was Marietta’s last passenger train.
Unlike the celebratory Christmas Eve 1842 when the first excursion train ran between Marthasville (later, to become Atlanta) and Marietta, this last passenger train simply slipped away from the station. The flashing lights of the crossing warnings and the sounds of the steel wheels called out to those nearby. But the ghostly specter faded from view, likely without any notice and certainly without fanfare.
Marietta’s Passenger Service
Over its history, Marietta’s long-distance passenger service included numerous trains stopping daily at its downtown station. Plus, from 1905 to 1947, the Atlanta Northern Railway ran an interurban commuter line connecting the two cities by rail.
Train numbers often designated key routes on printed schedules of the day. However, several famous named passenger routes passed through and stopped in Marietta, too. Some of those included the Flamingo, Southland, Dixie Flyer, Dixie Limited, Dixie Flagler and Georgian. These named trains most often served long-distance routes between larger cities. And they featured the finest cars, best amenities and top services for their riders. For example, The Georgian included sleeping cars, a club-lounge, dining cars and regular coach service on its route from Chicago to Atlanta, then on to Miami.
As recently as April 1963, eight passenger trains stopped at Marietta daily. A schedule of northbound service showed the Dixie Flyer left Marietta at 9:15 am. An unnamed passenger train No. 2 followed at 10:38. Then, in the afternoons, two more named trains left Marietta heading northbound. First was The Georgian at 6:19 pm. Finally, the northbound Flamingo left Marietta at 7:48 pm.
But by April 1971, Marietta’s last passenger train was known simply as Northbound No. 4. Earlier in the day, Southbound No. 3 completed its own final journey.
An Unnoticed Milestone
Local officials and media barely took notice of the passing of the passenger rail era. On March 25, 1971, the Marietta Daily Journal included a report at the bottom of page 1, reported the upcoming discontinuation of passenger rail service. One line referenced the end of historic passenger train service to Marietta. An unnamed L&N representative at the Marietta station noted, “There is not much use made of the stop in Marietta now.” The report also noted that Marietta was the only remaining passenger stop in Cobb County. Earlier consolidations eliminated passenger former stops at Acworth and Kennesaw.
Amtrak Impact
The official cause of the termination was the formation of Rail-Pax, later renamed Amtrak. Brainchild of Secretary of Transportation John Volpe, the government-back, quasi-public corporation would take over passenger rail services from the nation’s 22 railroad companies. Passenger rail service proved chronically unprofitable for the rail companies. Officials envisioned the Rail-Pax system to save some passenger rail service.
Amtrak launched May 1, 1971. The new national rail system connected 114 cities utilizing 184 trains over approximately 2,200 miles of passenger rail routes. But 184 routes were discontinued immediately, including the L&N route through Marietta.
Distractions and News
Perhaps Marietta and its residents were too distracted to notice the end of passenger rail service. Front pages and lead TV stories of the day focused on two major trials. A jury convicted US Army Lt. William Calley of war crimes for leading a massacre of Vietnamese civilians. The country was divided by the decision, hotly debated by journalists, politicians and citizens. And, another jury fixed the penalty as death for all four defendants in the infamous murders led by Charles Manson.
Closer to home, other transportation decisions captured headlines, overshadowing the loss of passenger train service. Locals and the federal government fought over the routing of Interstate 75. An unfinished 24-mile stretch from Marietta and running over Lake Allatoona generated controversy, focused on the least-harmful path for crossing the lake. And in the era of the automobile, that new concrete ribbon garnered more attention than an old-fashioned passenger train.
Meanwhile, Marietta’s giant Lockheed manufacturing facility, employing more than 32,000 people at the end of 1969, was shrinking quickly. The company announced that its workforce would number approximately 17,000 by the end of 1971. Workers and their families focused on securing a future after the massive reductions at the aerospace company, with no time to worry about rail services.
First in A Series
This post is the first in a series of four remembering Marietta’s passenger train service, its impact on Marietta, railroad stories, and the passing of an era. Check out the rest of the series:
