Thanks to Steve Scofield for the pictures on this page.
Last train to Mineral Bluff! The rails are still in place to Mineral Bluff from Murphy Jct., but CSX abandoned this section in the late 1980s.
Built as part of the Marietta & North Georgia, the line reached Murphy, NC, in about 1886 and a connection with what became the Southern Railway. This was originally supposed to be part of a line to Knoxville, but the MNG pushed north from Murphy Jct. (NE of Blue Ridge) to reach a line being extended S from Knoxville via Etowah, TN. That line became the famous L &N Hook & Eye route. It would seem that this line between Asheville and Atlanta would have formed a short cut versus trains taking the Southern route via Saluda to the main line in Spartanburg. But this line was very curvy and had bad grades... not efficient to use at all. The L & N abandoned the section between Mineral Bluff and Murphy in the late 1970s. From Mineral Bluff, the line went through Coles Crossing, Sweet Gum, Culberson, NC, Notla, Ranger, Channing, Kinsey, Old Murphy and into Murphy and the connection with Southern.
Tracks still in place (and weeds being killed) at Mineral Bluff, GA.
The former L & N line between Ellijay and Blue Ridge/Murphy Jct. The Georgia Northeastern operates from Marietta to Ellijay, and the section from Ellijay to Blue Ridge is out of service except to move motive power and cars to the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, which operates a portion of the former Hook & Eye from Blue Ridge up to Copperhill, TN, and back. CSX abandoned the section from Copperhill north to Etowah, TN, in 2002. That section includes the famous Hiawassee Loop.