The NS line from Rome and Chattanooga (two tracks, with a third being built) trails in from the northwest at Austell (MP 134.7), where there is extra track and double track begins, speed limit 79-60-55, with a grade crossing, a grade crossing at Mulberry Street, US 78 alongside to the south, a road bridge overhead, heading northeast, southeast past Intermediate Signals at Lowe (MP 137.2), speed limit 60-55 on the curve, and northeast, speed limit 50 mph on the curve, past a grade crossing and two road bridges overhead, before descending Nickajack Hill, speed limit 60-55 on the hill, past a two-arch bridge over Nickajack Creek, in the woods, Intermediate Signals at Nickajack (MP 140.0), a grade crossing, and detectors at MP 140.8, with a turn southeast on the descent, past Intermediate Signals at Oakdale, where a line once left to the south, tracks into a factory on the north side, tracks trailing in from a factory on the north side, Intermediate Signals at MP 144.x, and a bridge over a road below, and turns south, with speed limit 50 mph and then 50-45, across a multi-arch bridge over that line and the Chattahoochee River, past a grade crossing and a road bridge overhead, to Bolton (MP 145.5), where a line trails in from the northeast (along that river), the line drops to single track, and the speed limit drops to 40-25, and then east past extra track on the north side, extensive track construction on the south side in 4/09, a signal bridge over the mains at Perry (MP 145.5), after which the tracks separate, with the track on the north side becoming the west end of Inman Yard, no longer a classification yard, on the north side of the line, and turns southeast past Intermediate Signals at Bendix (or Phoenix?) to Inman Yard (MP 148.2), where speed limits drop to 25 mph and a spur from industry o the south side trails in.
The line turns east, with a road bridge overhead, and then the former L&N Tilford Yard (at least 8 tracks) coming alongside to the north, and then the former L&N line appearing, a road bridges overhead, the line bridges over another former L&N line from that yard, as the former L&N line on the north side curves away northeast (as the west leg of the Howell wye), past Rockdale (MP 148.9), and extra track on the south side to two different cement plants, and turns east-southeast to Howell Interlocking (MP 149.9), where there is a signal bridge overhead, then the Howell Wye control tower on the north wide, followed by the east leg of the wye on the north side with a connector from the former Seaboard line further north. A former Southern line turns away southeast with a former L&N line crossing the main line and heading southeast on the north side of the former Southern line as the main line turns east on the north leg of the wye, with the east leg trailing in at Birmont, where the line turns northeast.