NARCOA Rumbles Through NE Georgia on Tiny Rail Cars

Some little rail cars made a big splash this weekend as they rolled through Northeast Georgia.

Members of the North American Rail Car Operatiors Association or NARCOA came through Franklin, Hart, Elbert and Stephens Counties Saturday on their PutPut’s and Speeders, riding the rails as the invited guests of the Hartwell Railroad.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gIxQ4f6uZw.

According to their Web site, NARCOA is a non-profit group dedicated to the preservation and the safe, legal operation of railroad equipment historically used for maintenance of way. 

NARCOA members operate their own privately owned railroad motorcars on railroads throughout the United States and Canada during railroad-sanctioned NARCOA excursions. 

Excursions vary from one-day, 25 mile trips between two towns to multi-day, 1000 mile trips covering several states or provinces.

Bobby Morman is a member from Georgia who led this weekend’s excursion.

Morman said the little cars are vintage rail cars historically used for railroad maintenance.

“These are original yellow or orange motor cars, sometimes called PutPut’s, sometimes called Speeders,” Morman said. “And in the old days, this is what the railroads used to help maintain the tracks and railways.” 

Starting in Bowersville, about 30 members rode their tiny rail cars from Bowersville south to Elberton.  Then from Elberton they came back to Bowersville and rode the Hartwell line to Toccoa.

After about an hour’s stop in Martin, they road back to Bowersville through Lavonia, where train enthusiasts came with their children and grandchildren to watch the little vintage cars go by.

Morman said members of NARCOA are train enthusiasts who come from all over North America and all walks of life to ride the rails in their  Put Put’s and Speeders.

“I don’t think there’s anybody here that’s from the railroad, but we have everything from preachers to airline pilots, to accountants, to retired military,” he said. “We just love trains and this gives us the opportunity to ride on the tracks where others don’t have that opportunity.”

Members on Saturday’s rail ride came from all over the country and British Columbia and most often make it a family event.  Most of the cars have been restored to their original look, but many have added little embelishments, such as American flags.