The SAM Shortline covers only about 50 miles of track: from Cordele, which sits astride I-75 in middle Georgia, to Archery, where the rails run right through a peanut farm that was Jimmy Carter’s childhood home. But a round trip aboard this train is essentially a day-long affair, because it stops frequently, so that passengers can visit interesting places along the route. A well-equipped snack and souvenir car keeps passengers happily occupied while aboard.
An Educational, Fun-Filled, Railroad Trip
There’s a festive, happy atmosphere evident in all the lovingly restored and refurbished (1950’s – 60’s) passenger coaches. That is due partly to the fact that the passengers are off on what they expect to be a fun-filled day, and largely because of the dozen cheerful and knowledgeable volunteers making up the train’s crew (with exception of the professionals in the engines).
Habitat for Humanity
A major stop is at Americus, where the Habitat for Humanity’s International Headquarters is located. A stroll through their outdoor, International Village is a real eye-opener. It’s a composite replica of a shanty slum area, which could be found today in many places around this planet. From dusty narrow winding lanes lined with ramshackled huts, to the appalling pathetic interiors of such homes, you can see, first hand, how far too many of our fellow humans exist today. The authenticity is surprising—and shocking. Upon emerging from “shanty town,” one magically arrives in a wonderful new world of clean, comfortable, and attractive homes, typical of those built by Habitat for Humanity, in dozens of different nations, from Africa to the Pacific islands
Jimmie Carter Country
The train has clearly been a boon to little Plains, where it’s hundreds of passengers swarm through shops such as Plains Peanuts, and the relatively new Historic Inn and Antique Mall. A stop in the railroad depot is mandatory: especially so because most of the train’s passengers are old enough to vividly recall seeing it on the evening news, when the relatively unknown Georgia Governor used it as his headquarters during a successful run for the White House. Displays inside help to recall those unusual times, such as pick-up softball games involving famous newsmen and the Carter staff. Sadly, brother Billy’s famous gas station, which is a rock’s throw from the depot, is today little more than an abandoned relic.
The train hardly gets rolling before the engineer begins to slow for the scheduled stop in Archery: site of the Carter Farm, which has become a National Historic Site. A too-short 30 minutes are allowed to quickly visit some of the buildings on the 360-acre spread, where crops such as cotton and peanuts are still grown, although primarily just for benefit of visitors. At many places along the dirt paths between buildings, you can listen to high-fidelity voice recordings, in which President Carter explains what you’re looking at, and what it meant to him. It’s almost as though the popular president is there with you.
As passengers stream, reluctantly, back aboard the train, some are holding cotton picked as a souvenir; others are chewing sweet tubes of fresh-cut sugar cane taken from the field. Most of them express disappointment that they hadn’t had more time there, and that their trip on the Shortline is about to end.
When You Go
Cordele is right on I-75, about two hours north of the Florida/Georgia border; it has hundreds of comfortable motel rooms There’s a lot to do, in addition to the train, within short driving distances from Cordele [Tel: 866 426-3566; on the Web at www.cordele-crisp-chamber.com].
Summers can be hot there, so walking excursions are then not as enjoyable as during other seasons (Autumn and Spring are best). The train operates on Fridays, Saturdays, and select Mondays and Thursdays of each month. Check with them at 877/427-2457, or visit their informative Web site (www.samshortline.com) for more information. Coach seats cost $22.99 for adults, $12.99 for children, and $19.99 for seniors or military veterans. First class [which is almost always sold out, offers a coach with moveable tables and chairs] costs $29.99 for adults, and $17.99 for children.
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