South Georgia Gold Mine - Sandersville Railroad: The Kaolin Road

Kaolin, also known as "white gold", is a soft clay that is mined for use in a wide variety of everyday items including paper, paint, makeup, toothpaste, and much more. While not as heavily used as in years past, it is still a vital part of South Georgia's export portfolio. Sandersville, known as the Kaolin Capital of the World, is where the magic happens and why the lucrative Sandersville Railroad exists. The small shortline railroad is responsible for transporting thousands of carloads of the mineral each year that are shipped all over the country on a daily basis.

Another important link to the nationwide distribution of kaolin is the Norfolk Southern Savannah District. The Sandersville RR interchanges with the Class 1 in Tennille, GA twice a day, with one train coming from Sandersville-proper industries (including a wood chip facility), and the other train of kaolin and clay slurry coming from the Deepstep area. Recently, a two-train operation was the norm. However, I lucked out and found a third job working the wood yard upon arriving in Sandersville. This yard job and the interchange job right behind it had previously worked their respective kaolin/slurry industries in Sandersville by the time I arrived, and I missed both by mere seconds and had to dart to the yard to catch them. Despite that little hiccup, the trip was a success and one I'm hoping to make again in the near future.

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-- Sandersville Railroad --
Deepstep Job (Southbound - Sandersville, GA)
Yard Job (South/Northbound - Sandersville, GA)
Interchange Job (Southbound - Sandersville, GA)
Yard Job (Southbound - Sandersville, GA)

-- Norfolk Southern Savannah District --
G23 (Eastbound - Tennille, GA)

-- Sandersville Railroad --
Interchange Job (Southbound - Tennille, GA)
Deepstep Job (South/Northbound - Deepstep and Sandersville, GA)