East Point, Georgia, Circa 1949

Here is a boyhood favorite memory of Robert's at East Point, Georgia north of Cleveland avenue towards the interlocking tower which has since been torn down, given way to the modern electronic centralized traffic control now handled out of Jacksonville. East Point was originally the eastern most terminus of the Atlanta and West Point railroad and due to its strategic importance East Point became the seventh largest industrial city in the state of Georgia up until the 1970's. Here is where Robert would ride his bicycle to and timed so that he would arrive so he would catch the East Point route of the afternoon Southern Crescent in route to New Orleans. The primary Crescent went to Birmingham and on to New Orleans, and the secondary Crescent went by East Point, College Park, Newnan, LaGrange, West Point, Opelika, and then on to New Orleans. Here we are looking at the Crescent pulled by the 290, alongside the Southbound Central of Georgia Flamingo, on its way to Jacksonville, pulled by Diesels, in the transition era of the 50's. What also is unique about this is the Southern #290 is owned by the Atlanta Chapter of the NRHS and is currently being restored at the Duluth Railway museum. Robert actually painted this several years ago and has decided to now release it as a print.