Death on the Rails

Smyrna Public Library 100 Village Green Circle SE, Smyrna, GA, United States

While rail travel improved mobility and opened new markets, it could be, at times, incredibly dangerous. Sadly, train wrecks and mishaps changed the lives of passengers, workers and innocent bystanders. Todd DeFeo has written extensively about railroads, authoring books about the Atlanta Northern Railway, the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad, the Western & Atlantic Railroad […]

Smyrna: A Railroad Town?

Aline Wolfe Adult Recreation Center 884 Church Street SE, Smyrna, GA, United States

Parallel Roads

Georgia Room at Switzer Library 266 Roswell Street NE, Marietta, United States

“Parallel Roads” At one time, two railroads connected Atlanta and Marietta: the well-known Western & Atlantic Railroad and the lesser-known Atlanta Northern Railway, an interurban line that ran from 1905 to 1947. In some ways, the two companies were “friendly enemies,” not unlike the Atlanta Northern’s relationship with another growing form of transportation: the automobile. […]

CANCELLED: People and Places of the Western & Atlantic

Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History 2829 Cherokee St. NW, Kennesaw, GA, United States

The Southern Museum cancelled this event. “People and Places of the Western & Atlantic” While the state-owned Western & Atlantic Railroad is well-known, the tracks and trains are just one part of the story. Thousands of railroad workers and local business owners made the railroad successful. Many of these stories are forgotten. Author Todd DeFeo […]

CANCELLED: Western & Atlantic Railroad Bus Tour (April 2024)

Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History 2829 Cherokee St. NW, Kennesaw, GA, United States

PLEASE NOTE: This event has been cancelled for April 6, 2024, and may not be rescheduled. Retrace History with a One-of-a-Kind Tour of the Historic Western & Atlantic Railroad Saturday, April 6, 2024! Todd DeFeo, founder of The DeFeo Groupe and publisher of Railfanning.org, has written several railroad histories, including books chronicling the Western & […]

History Alive: The Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore

Donaldson-Bannister Farm 4831 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, GA, United States

The Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore Whether it’s the Atlanta Beltline or downtown Dunwoody, it can be hard to believe trains once rumbled through the area. Sometimes, they leave behind subtle reminders. Other times, modern development has obliterated their remnants. But railroads helped build Atlanta as we know it. Trains transported communities for decades before […]

Railroad History of Acworth

North Cobb Senior Center 3900 South Main Street, Acworth, GA, United States

Learn from a train historian about the people and places of the Western and Atlantic Railroads. This discussion will be focused on Acworth’s history of the railroads. Presented by Todd DeFeo, Founder of The DeFeo Groupe.