Manufacturer: Shenango China
User: State of Georgia's New Georgia Railroad
Date of plate: 1985

Southern Railroad's diesel 6901 engine was one of three featured on the excursion line's china.

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Notes: The New Georgia Railroad came into being when the State of Georgia purchased – and renovated – the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot in 1981 and then in 1985, the out-of-business Red Carpet Line excursion railroad, eventually offering rides to the public on the first Saturday of every month, using Red Carpet Line equipment as well as that on loan by the National Railway Historical Society whose volunteers manned the short trips.

By Feb. 14, 1989, the Georgia Building Authority, which was tasked with managing the New Georgia Railroad, had begun adding a weekend dinner train to its excursions, with tables set with white cloths and fresh flowers, as well as this custom set of Shenango China.

According to a story in the Aug. 24, 1995 Atlanta Journal, "The weekend dinner train was often sold out six weeks in advance. But trains had to compete with freight traffic on tracks owned by CSX and keep up with escalating costs." "The railroad lost about $1.4 million from 1985 to 1991. It accumulated $2 million in assets, but the train ceased operation a year and a half ago [early 1994] because costs were too high." Assets of the New Georgia Railroad were auctioned off on Aug. 24, 1995.

The railroad's custom dishes included plates in several sizes, cups and saucers, individual teapots, sugar bowls, creamers, and bowls in several shapes (cereal, fruit, bouillon). These were all topmarked in red with train engines within ovals spaced along the borders of the plates as well as with the New Georgia Railroad logo that included the seal of the State of Georgia. The engines featured on the dishes were the steam Atlanta and West Point 290, the diesel Southern Railroad 6901, and the steam Savannah and Atlanta 750.

Sources:
Atlanta Constitution issues:
Nov. 9, 1986
June 11, 1989
Aug. 24, 1995

Contributor:
Plate photos: Annaliese Whipple