The Blue Zephyr is the name give to a train travailing on the Stone Mountain
Scenic Railroad - a standard gauge railroad that circles the perimeter
of Stone Mountain Park in a loop, and provides views of the mountain en route. Climb
aboard the train with a full size
locomotives with open-air cars that takes you on a lively
five-mile excursion around the mountain.
The railroad utilizes what was
originally an industrial spur built in 1869 by the Stone Mountain Granite
Company to serve quarries at the foot of the Stone Mountain, with a connection to the Georgia Railroad’s main
line in Stone Mountain Villege. The railroad later started an excursion service
to the mountain. The spur was later abandoned, but the right of way remained in
place (though the rails had been removed). In 1962, the present day scenic
railroad opened, which had rebuilt much of the old right of way, with additional
trackage to create a complete, continuous circuit around the mountain. The
mileage of the circuit around the mountain is advertised as being five miles
long, however, the actual mileage is 3.88 miles.
The railroad had
de-accessioned its last remaining steam locomotives in early 2013, and
currently owns and operates diesels exclusively. Pictured here is a EMD FP 7
Diesel Locomotive built in 1950.
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