Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad

The Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad rides on a right-of-way that began as an industrial spur, laid in 1869 by the Stone Mountain Granite Company to reach quarries at the mountain's base, with a connection to the Georgia Railroad main line in Stone Mountain Village. Excursions to the mountain followed before the spur was abandoned and its rails lifted. In 1960, Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad, Inc. was organized to build a tourist line encircling the mountain under lease from the Stone Mountain Memorial Association, the state body created in 1958 to develop the park. Two miles of old quarry trackage were rebuilt between 1961 and 1963 and new construction closed the loop — advertised at 5 miles, though the circuit actually measures 3.88. The Memorial Association took over full operation in 1981, and a restored connection to the CSX main line in 1987 let the road host visiting trains, including Savannah and Atlanta Railway steam locomotive 750. Since January 1998 the railroad, with the park's other attractions, has been run under lease by Herschend Family Entertainment, the Silver Dollar City and Dollywood operator, which carried out major track, car, and locomotive upgrades in 2011.