Austell Webcam – Where Two Norfolk Southern Lines Meet

The Austell Webcam covers one of the busier railroad junctions in metropolitan Atlanta, at the spot in downtown Austell, Georgia where two Norfolk Southern main lines pull apart and head for different states. One set of rails runs north toward Chattanooga. The other swings west toward Birmingham. More than 60 trains work through on an average day, a mix of intermodal stacks, manifest freights and local moves, with Amtrak’s Crescent passing once in each direction. This is a pan, tilt and zoom camera rather than a fixed one, so the framing moves: a wide shot of the diverging tracks one minute, a tight view of a headlight coming out of the trees the next.

About Austell

Austell is a small city in Cobb County, about 24 kilometers (15 miles) west of downtown Atlanta along U.S. Route 78. The 2020 census counted 7,713 residents inside a city limit of roughly 15.4 square kilometers (5.95 square miles), at an elevation of 283 meters (928 feet). The railroad is the reason it exists at all. The town takes its name from General Alfred Austell, who lived from 1814 to 1881 and was recognized for his work bringing major railways to the South. The Georgia legislature incorporated the city in 1885.

The Georgia Pacific Railway picked this spot as a station depot and as the dividing point between its Birmingham and Chattanooga routes, and that split is still the whole story of the place. Both lines had joined the Southern Railway by 1894 and both are Norfolk Southern track today. The northern route began as the East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad in 1836 and is now the Atlanta North Subdivision of the Georgia Division, passing through town at milepost 134. The western route started as the Georgia Pacific Railroad in 1854 and is now the East End Subdivision of the Alabama Division, marked at milepost 650 as it heads for Birmingham.

The Austell Webcam looks across the concrete viewing area on Broad Street that sits right at the divergence, so the switch and both legs of the junction are usually somewhere in frame. Downtown storefronts stand on the far side of the rails, with a grade crossing and its signal masts off to one side and parked cars along the street beyond. Traffic is heavier than the town size suggests because Whitaker Yard, an intermodal terminal, lies about 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) to the northwest. The yard is named for John Wesley Whitaker, a Tuskegee Airman who became the Central of Georgia’s first Black locomotive engineer.

Weather and Climate in Austell

Austell sits in the humid subtropical belt that covers metropolitan Atlanta, so the camera works through hot summers and mild, unsettled winters. July is the peak of it, with average highs near 32 C (90 F) and overnight lows around 22 C (72 F) across the metro area. Heat haze can soften the far end of the tracks on those afternoons, and thunderstorms build quickly enough that a clear shot turns to heavy rain on the lens within the hour. January is the other end of the range, averaging about 12 C (54 F) by day and 2 C (36 F) at night. Winters here are mild but variable, and snow is rare: the Atlanta area averages only around 5.6 centimeters (2.2 inches) a year, with ice storms the more serious hazard.

Rain is spread through the calendar rather than concentrated in a wet season, totaling roughly 1,281 millimeters (50 inches) a year for the metro area, with late spring and early fall running somewhat drier. Those two shoulder seasons tend to give the cleanest picture, since the air is less hazy and the light lasts longer into the evening. Spring greens up the tree line that backs the junction and hides the more distant track, while by late autumn the same trees thin out and the view opens up again. After dark the crossing lights and the downtown street lighting keep the junction readable, though fine detail drops away.

Things to Do Near Austell

The viewing area the camera overlooks is a genuine destination in its own right, a concrete pad on Broad Street set aside for train watching at the junction. Frog Rock Brewing Company and Austell Cowork both host the cameras in the same downtown area, alongside Cincinnati Junction, so a visit can combine the trackside spot with somewhere to sit down. For something larger, Six Flags Over Georgia carries an Austell address on the Cobb County side of the line, covering about 117 hectares (290 acres) since it opened on June 16, 1967.

Sweetwater Creek State Park, in neighboring Douglas County, is the best walking nearby, with roughly 1,031 hectares (2,549 acres) of wooded trails. The main path follows the creek down to the ruins of the New Manchester Manufacturing Company, a textile mill burned during the Civil War, and the park also holds the George Sparks Reservoir with a visitor center, a bait shop and a gift shop.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

Other live views worth a look if this junction holds your attention.

• Cordele Webcam
• Ritzville Webcam
• La Plata Railcam
• Atlanta Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Austell, Georgia located?

Austell is in Cobb County in the western part of the Atlanta metropolitan area, about 24 kilometers (15 miles) from downtown Atlanta along U.S. Route 78. The 2020 census recorded 7,713 residents.

What can you see on the Austell Webcam?

The camera looks at the point in downtown Austell where two Norfolk Southern main lines diverge, taking in the switch, the grade crossing, the concrete viewing area on Broad Street and the storefronts behind the tracks. Trains appear from three directions.

Which railroad runs through Austell, Georgia?

Norfolk Southern, on two separate subdivisions. The Atlanta North Subdivision runs north toward Chattanooga at milepost 134, and the East End Subdivision runs west toward Birmingham at milepost 650. Both had become Southern Railway lines by 1894.

How many trains pass through Austell each day?

More than 60 on a typical day, according to the camera operator. Most are Norfolk Southern intermodal and manifest freights, and the nearby Whitaker intermodal terminal adds to the count.

Does Amtrak pass through Austell?

Yes. Amtrak’s Crescent uses the East End Subdivision through Austell and passes once in each direction, so a passenger train is a daily but brief part of the view.

What is the weather like in Austell, Georgia?

Humid subtropical. July averages about 32 C (90 F) by day, January about 12 C (54 F), and the metro area sees roughly 1,281 millimeters (50 inches) of rain a year with very little snow.

Why does the Austell Webcam view keep changing?

It is a pan, tilt and zoom camera, so the operator and the stream moderators can move it to follow a train or switch between the two lines. The framing will not match from one visit to the next.

Who operates the train camera in Austell?

Virtual Railfan runs the stream, hosted locally by Cincinnati Junction, Frog Rock Brewing Company and Austell Cowork. The cameras went live on August 10, 2023, and a second fixed view facing east is available to channel members.

Source: Virtual Railfan