History Alive: The Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore
2024-07-20 09:30 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Donaldson-Bannister Farm, 4831 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, GA, 30338, 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 the public turned to new forms of transportation, leaving the steel rails underutilized and ultimately relegated to the history books. Does our nostalgia today match the perspectives of those who lived during their demise?

Railroad History of Acworth
2024-08-13 10:30 - 11:30 | North Cobb Senior Center, 3900 South Main Street, Acworth, GA, 30101, 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.

Death on the Southern Rails
2024-09-09 18:00 - 19:00 | Georgia Room at Switzer Library, 266 Roswell Street NE, Marietta, 30060, United States
While rail travel improved mobility and opened new markets, it could sometimes be incredibly dangerous. Sadly, train wrecks and mishaps changed the lives of passengers, workers, and innocent bystanders. Author Todd DeFeo recounts some of the deadliest wrecks in Southern history, including lesser-known wrecks during the Civil War and the 20th century.

The Unexpected Western & Atlantic: Tales from Cartersville and Beyond
2024-09-18 12:00 - 13:00 | Bartow History Museum, 4 East Church Street, Cartersville, GA, 30120, United States

Live at Sessions Stand
2024-10-24 18:00 - 20:00 | Sessions Stand, 397 North Sessions Street, Marietta, GA, 30060, United States

Railroad History at the Smyrna Rotary Club
2024-11-12 12:00 - 13:30 | Brawner Hall, 3180 Atlanta Road, Smyrna, GA, 30080, United States

Georgia Archives: Oddities on the (Georgia) Rails
2024-12-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Georgia Archives, 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA, 30260, United States
While many histories center on dates and places, they overlook some funnier, if not downright bizarre, happenings throughout the years. From armed robberies to a duel between long-time friends, some of the most intriguing events to happen in history were plain weird. Author Todd DeFeo recounts some of the highlights (or lowlights) that happened on (or near) the rails in Georgia.
About Todd DeFeo
Todd DeFeo has written extensively about railroads, authoring several unique railroad books, including histories of the Atlanta Northern Railway, the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad and the Western & Atlantic Railroad. His presentations include rare and well-researched anecdotes to bring the stories of those affected by railroad mishaps to life. He is the publisher and editor of Railfanning.org.

Oddities on the Georgia Rails
2025-04-14 15:00 - 16:00 | GA

Rotary Club of Vinings Cumberland
2025-04-23 12:30 - 13:00 | GA

Trestles, Runaway Trains, and Streetcars: Athens’ Unexpected Railroad History
2025-04-27 15:00 - 16:00 | Athens-Clarke County Library, 2025 Baxter Street, Athens, GA, 30606, United States
Athens, Georgia, has a deep railroad history, and it extends beyond the trestle on the back of a local band’s album. It includes a streetcar system that whisked Athenians around town and a narrow-gauge railroad in the region that struggled to connect with The Classic City. The stories of the local railroad history are as heartwarming as they are harrowing.

Keep Smyrna Beautiful Garden Tour
2025-05-03 10:30 - 11:30 | Reed House, 3080 Atlanta Road, Smyrna, GA, United States
Please check with Keep Smyrna Beautiful for information on how to attend.

Death on the Rails in Georgia & Beyond
2025-06-13 19:00 - 20:00 | Covenant Presbyterian Church, 2881 Canton Road, Marietta, GA, 30066, United States

Slavery and the Southern Railroads
2025-06-16 13:00 - 14:00 | North Cobb Senior Center, 3900 South Main Street, Acworth, GA, 30101, United States
Learn from a railroad historian how the railroad companies in the South were the first to build railroads, and how they heavily relied on enslaved labor to not only build, but also operate one of the most extensive railroad networks in the world.

An angry mob and a hollow tree: A look at Clarksville’s unexpected railroad history
2025-07-06 15:00 - 16:00 | Customs House Museum & Cultural Center, 200 S Second Street, Clarksville, TN, 37040, United States
Clarksville has a deep railroad history, and three railroads passed through town, and the city also boasted a streetcar network. Despite the history, the city has had a love-hate relationship with the railroad. Its first railroad was derided as “beginning in the woods and ending in a hollow tree.” When one railroad faltered, city leaders regrouped to build a second railroad, and the outcome was a line named for three states it never reached.
Todd DeFeo has written extensively about railroads, authoring several unique railroad books, including histories of the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad, the Indiana, Alabama & Texas Railroad and Clarksville’s streetcar network. His presentations include rare and well-researched anecdotes to bring the stories of those impacted by railroads to life. He is the owner of The DeFeo Groupe and the publisher and editor of Sightseers’ Delight and Railfanning.org.

The Unexpected Local Railroad History
2025-07-19 09:00 - 10:00 | Donaldson-Bannister Farm, 4831 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, GA, 30338, United States
Railroad history isn’t always like what the history books tell. Whether it’s the lines that passed through an area or the ones that were proposed but never built, railroads are the story of the region’s transportation. It was a combination of railroads that made sense, some that didn’t and ambitions that never made it to fruition. Still these stories provide a valuable insight into the community that was and almost was and provide context for the conversations we have today — and in many ways mirror those we had decades ago.

The People Who Ran (and Rode) the Trains
2025-09-07 15:00 - 16:00 | Smyrna Public Library, 100 Village Green Circle SE, Smyrna, GA, 30080, United States
Railroads didn’t just pass through Smyrna; many in the area depended on them for their livelihoods. Whether holding high-profile positions such as a conductor or meeting your spouse because of the streetcar, railroads played a role in many lives. This presentation will look at some of the lesser-known railroad stories throughout history.
Todd DeFeo has written extensively about railroads, authoring several unique railroad books, including histories of the Atlanta Northern Railway, the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad and the Western & Atlantic Railroad. His presentations include rare and well-researched anecdotes to bring the stories of those impacted by railroads to life. He is the owner of The DeFeo Groupe and the publisher and editor of Railfanning.org.

Railroaders with a connection to Smyrna, Georgia
2025-10-31 07:00 - 08:00 | GA

The Transcontinental Railroad and Georgia
2026-05-03 15:00 - 16:00 | Smyrna Public Library, 100 Village Green Circle SE, Smyrna, GA, 30080, United States
