A big thank you to our members, volunteers, and visitors as we opened the 2024 season. We couldn’t do what we do without each and every one of you. The railroad saw five steam engines, five diesel locomotives, and lots of rolling stock running around the railroad. A big thanks to Liz from Operation Life Saver in helping share the importance of railroad safety. Also, a special thank you to our photographer Nat for taking lots of great photos from Saturday’s event. We look forward to seeing everyone around the railroad at our May 18th public run day.

What an incredible day we had this past Saturday. The day started out with beautiful weather and friends from Georgia Garden Railway Society (GGRS) stopping by before all the festivities began. The Gauge 1 railroad ran at full steam with many locomotive and visitors checking it all out.

During our public run day, the Gauge-1 crew brought out some great looking equipment to the railroad. Here are some videos and pictures of the day.

Here are some pictures of the guys running the Gauge 1 trains during our public run days in 2021.

The second public train ride day of the 2026 season is officially in the books at North Georgia Live Steamers — and what an AMAZING day it turned out to be!

After a threat of rain leading into Saturday, the clouds cleared just in time for a perfect afternoon as the whistles blew and trains began rolling out of the station. The beautiful weather brought out huge crowds, and throughout the day we gave approximately 500 train rides to excited guests of all ages!

What an incredible day at North Georgia Live Steamers for our March 28, 2026 Public Run Day!

With beautiful weather and smiling faces everywhere, guests of all ages came out to experience the excitement of live steam railroading in action. Throughout the day, visitors enjoyed rides behind an amazing lineup of equipment, including THREE fully functioning steam locomotives, several diesel engines, and an impressive variety of rolling stock featuring boxcars, cabooses, passenger cars, and more.

The sights, sounds, and even the smell of coal smoke made for an unforgettable experience as trains rolled steadily through the property all day long. From first-time visitors to longtime railroad enthusiasts, it was great seeing so many people enjoying the hobby and sharing in the excitement together.

A huge thank you to all of our volunteers, engineers, conductors, and guests who helped make the day such a success. We’re already looking forward to the next public run day — and we hope to see even more smiling faces out on the rails! 🚂.

What an incredible day we had on Saturday, October 4th, as the Conyers & Hightower Trail Railroad roared back to life for our 2025 season! Throughout the afternoon, our steam, diesel, and battery-powered locomotives delighted riders of all ages, carrying nearly 700 passengers around the railroad in just three and a half hours.

This amazing turnout wouldn’t have been possible without our dedicated volunteer crew and all of our wonderful visitors — thank you for making the day such a success!

We’re not done yet! Join us for our final run day of the year on Saturday, November 1st, as we keep the Halloween fun going a little longer. The railroad will be decked out with festive decorations, and costumes are highly encouraged. Trains will be running from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m., so bring your friends, family, and Halloween spirit for one more unforgettable day on the rails!

Another great day sharing our railroad with so many friends. The day started a little wet but cleared, and made for a beautiful day. A thank you to our members, volunteers, and visitors for making the day so much fun.

We look forward to seeing everyone around the railroad in the fall when we run again. In the meantime, if you're interested in learning more about our group or becoming a volunteer, please stop by during one of our workdays or contact us for more information.

he 2025 season is in full swing and a big thank you to all our members, volunteers, and guests for making the day a success. The railroad operated three steam engines, one electric outline steam engine, and one diesel locomotive all day and our Gauge-1 railroad operated providing a great experience for all. We saw some familiar faces including some new ones who traveled from Charlotte to enjoy the day with us.

Again thank you to everyone who came out and made the day a success. We couldn’t do this without each one of you. As a not-for-profit organization, we rely on events like this and donations to operate the railroad. If you or someone you know is interested in donating please visit our donation page for more details. Look forward to seeing everyone around the railroad soon. Our next public run day is Saturday, May 17th from 1 to 4:30 p.m. but you don’t have to wait until then. If you are interested in learning more about our club and railroad visit us during one of our workdays that happen throughout the month. During our workdays, we perform routine maintenance on the railroad, work on special projects, and of course play with trains along the way.

While we didn’t have an official workday on the schedule today, it was John’s official weekend to come out to the railroad. He spent time on the container mural, along with installing a retaining wall for the “Grandma Line”. A big thanks to John and his commitment to getting this project a step closer to being completed. Our next official workday is coming up on Saturday, May 10th, as we prepare the railroad for our May 17th public run day. Please come prepared to perform track maintenance, cut grass, and have a good time. Workday begins at 8:30 a.m.

We had a great turnout for our workday on Saturday. The crew took a divide and conquered approach by working on multiple projects at the same time. We had a track crew working on the Grandma Line installing a new switch off the mainline on the west end of the project. We had another group work on electrical throughout the property and so much more going on throughout the day.

A small work crew, which consisted of John T., Wes, Kenneth, and Norm, came out on Saturday along with a few who stopped by to say hello. The work crew started work on building out the last switch needed to connect the east end of the “Grandma Line” to the railroad.

Once this switch is complete and installed the last 80 or 90 feet of the “Grandma Line” can be connected completing another change to our mainline traffic. However, before this can be done, we will need to build a retaining wall most likely out of the cut container panels we have similar to what we did earlier this year near the Nicol bridge. With the installation of a new retaining wall, we will also need to bring in more dirt reduce the drop off on the east end of the “Grandma Line”.

As 2023 winds down work on the “Grandma Line” took place on Saturday, December 30th with a major milestone taking place with the installation of a new mainline switch. This new switch will eventually connect both the “Grandma Line” and the east end of the water line to the mainline. Until then John and Wes also installed a few straight panels off the new switch and began to map out the relocation the existing water line switch and what track panels will need to be built next. You might be asking what switch is being relocated, well it is the switch closest to the red water tower on the east end of the water siding track. This relocation is needed to connect the “Grandma Line” and water line together before they eventually connect to the mainline.

What an incredible day around the railroad during our March 18th workday. The day start out a little cold, ok just above freezing cold, as John, Robby, and Scott positioning track panels for container number four while Rick, Gene, and Norm did a little planning on the shop container project. Wes joined in on the fun with the container crew as they removed a switch from the mainline, which was the old red container switch near the main grade crossing. Norm and Gene removed the rest of the cross over switch from the mainline that was used to get to the middle of the steaming siding near the water tower. The crew then took the switches and rebuilt them before reinstalling them for the container number for track. The crew also ballasted the panels as the day ended.

At this point, the outer loop and Grandma Line are operational, but we encourage steam engines to go through the area slowly the first couple of times to make sure everything is smooth. The yard still needs additional cleanup and repair work before all repairs are completed and the railroad is back to full operation.

Another productive workday is in the books! On Saturday, July 11th, an outstanding crew consisting of John, Wes, Daryl, Grady, David E., and Robby continued the ongoing storm cleanup and railroad restoration efforts. Thanks to their hard work and dedication, the railroad is now approximately 90% operational.

The crew split the day between outdoor railroad repairs and indoor construction projects. The morning was spent outside tackling storm-related damage and focusing on track repairs throughout the property. We are excited to report that repairs to the Outer Loop in the woods have been completed, allowing trains to once again travel through this scenic section of the railroad. Additional work is still needed to rebuild one of the switches in the area, but tremendous progress has been made.

What a difference another workday makes! Friday marked a major milestone in our storm recovery efforts as the final large tree was removed from the railroad. While seeing the last of the major tree damage cleared is a tremendous accomplishment, it also revealed the extent of the remaining repairs that will be needed before trains can safely return to operation. With the debris gone, we now have a much clearer picture of the work ahead, including track repairs, grading, and other infrastructure that was hidden beneath the fallen trees.

On Wednesday, July 1st, more progress was made clearing storm damage throughout the railroad. By getting an early start each morning before the summer heat sets in, our volunteers have been able to accomplish a tremendous amount in just a few hours. Those cooler morning temperatures have made it much easier to tackle the physically demanding work, and the difference is becoming more noticeable every day.

The cleanup has continued with additional trees, limbs, and storm debris being removed, and the property is beginning to recover from the damage left behind by the recent storms. We still have a few large trees that will require professional removal, and we're continuing to work through those plans with a tree service. We expect to have more information after the July 4th holiday weekend.

The cleanup efforts at the railroad continue to make outstanding progress! Today, Wes and Dave E. spent the day on the property tackling the storm damage, and they made a huge dent in the cleanup efforts. Thanks to their hard work, even more fallen trees, branches, and debris have been cleared, and the railroad is looking noticeably better.