Welcome to the Trainscapes segment! Each week here on Geek Alabama, Trainscapes will feature train content including videos of trains and behind the scenes action of trains and locomotives. Some people have an interest in seeing trains, and we here at Geek Alabama aim to please the train lovers!
Norfolk Southern’s I Line is one of the most fascinating pieces of railroad in Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia.
Stretching 14.5 miles between Cleveland, Tennessee, and Cohutta, Georgia, the I Line was once an important connection between Atlanta, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and the Appalachian coal fields. But after decades of declining coal traffic, regular freight service largely disappeared by 2016. Today, the line is mostly quiet, seeing only occasional Maintenance of Way trains, ballast trains, and reroutes.
Over the years, we’ve documented some of those rare movements along the line—from Norfolk Southern SD40-2s and Herzog ballast trains to Maintenance of Way equipment and even high-priority intermodal train 29F.
This video takes you from Cleveland to Cohutta and explores the history of the I Line, its changing role in the Norfolk Southern system, and some of the rare trains we’ve been fortunate enough to capture.
We’ll also visit the property of North Georgia railfan Ed Painter, better known as “the man between the tracks.” With Norfolk Southern’s mainlines surrounding his property and his driveway crossing the I Line, Ed has one of the most unique railfan locations in the region.
And in June 2026, the I Line suddenly became much busier when Norfolk Southern rerouted 29F over the line following a major derailment on the CNO&TP. With word spreading throughout the railfan community, dozens of photographers gathered at Ed’s property to witness these exceptionally rare movements.
From forgotten Southern Railway infrastructure and old signals to modern Maintenance of Way equipment and high-priority intermodal trains, this is the story of Norfolk Southern’s I Line—and why this quiet railroad continues to fascinate railroaders and railfans alike.
Categories: Trainscapes Stuff
