I came across this gem on eBay. It is mounted on what appears to be a drawer front. It has a finger pull routed into the back and there is an unstained area on the back where the drawer would have been. Stamped on the ball of the rail it says ¡°TA&G 1891 56 Lbs.¡±. The TAG predecessor Chattanooga Southern was indeed laid with 56 pound rail. Most of the railroad was constructed from Gadsden north and a portion from Chattanooga southward to reach the planned city of Kensington. The golden spike was laid when north and south construction met in the center of Pigeon Mountain tunnel. These same light rails were down till the Coverdale syndicate bought TAG in 1929. At this point the 56 pound rail was replaced with 100 pound rail. Annual reports across the 1930s had entries detailed this progress. In addition to heavier rail they laid new creosoted ties with tie plates and heavy slag ballast. At first the heavy rail was laid on curves and on grades with choice 56 pound rail relaid on tangent trackage until the entire right of way became laid with the heavy rail. As progress was maid, the TAG began to buy heavier locomotives. Starting with the GM&N mikados which were soon sold to Canadian railroad Sydney & Louisburg and the larger New York Central mikados were purchased. The heavy rails were down and the larger mikados purchased just in time for the increased traffic of WW2.
Warren
Warren Stephens