Birmingham & Southeastern

Company History: This company was established in 1901 under the US&N name. The name was changed to Birmingham Southeastern in 1911. The B&SE ran 47 miles from Union Springs, Alabama north to the city of Eclectic. Part of the route came from the 1912 acquisition of the Tallassee & Montgomery Railway. Connections were with Central of Georgia, Seaboard Air Line and Western Railway of Alabama. During the steam era, B&SE had a trio of 4-6-0’s, a 4-4-0, a 2-8-0 and a 2-6-0. By 1948 only the line between Milstead and Tallassee remained, mostly for the benefit of a large cotton mill in Tallassee. In 1953 they acquired a GE 44-tonner to handle freight on the remaining 7 miles. Passenger and package freight were handled with a pair of comical Edwards gasoline railbuses, one of which has been preserved. The railroad closed in March of 1965.

Brief History: The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.