Howells (Atlanta) to Spartanburg

At Howell Interlocking (MP 149.9 on the Georgia Division/Atlanta District, 635.3 on the Piedmont Division), 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, past a derelict factory on the north side, with the east leg trailing in at Birmont (MP 634.7), where there is a road bridge overhead and the now double track line turns northeast, with extra track on the north side and speed limit 35 mph, past a road bridge overhead, a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at Brookwood, Atlanta Steel on the southeast side, a bridge over a major freeway (I-75), and Peachtree Station (MP 633.3), with an island platform with umbrella shed, and a depot above the tracks towards the east end, next to a road overbridge, where the speed limit rises  to 40 mph, with three total tracks.

Interstate 85 runs along the south side of the line, then a MARTA line on viaduct runs along the south side as far as the five-track Armour Yard (MP 632.5), on the south side of the line, where an NS connecting line leaves to the south at the east end of the yard, bridging over a CSX line in a ravine (to which that connector connects) as the line turns north-northeast, with a MARTA viaduct alongside to the south, past a bridge over a stream, MP 631.5, a bridge over a divided road, Intermediate Signals at Foremost (MP 630.9), where the line turns northeast,  and then north, where the speed limit rises to 50 mph, northeast, where the speed limit rises to 60-50, with MARTA alongside to the southeast, and then bridging overhead to the north side, north-northeast, bridging over an 'Interstate' (SR 400) and turning east-northeast, past a wide road bridge overhead (Lenox Road), Intermediate Signals, and a bridge over a road (Roxboro Road).

The line turns northeast past two bridges over roads (Colonial Drive, Druid Hills Road), detectors at MP 626.6, a bridge over a road (Dresden Drive), a road alongside to the north (Peachtree Road) and  Intermediate Signals at Goodwin (MP 626.3),  a road alongside to the south (new Peachtree Road, a spur to a cement plant across the road to the south, east-northeast at Oglethorpe University, past Intermediate Signals, a bridge over a road (Clairmont Road), a spur from a cement plant trailing in from the south, a MARTA line alongside to the south, a signal bridge at Chamblee (MP 624.5), where a branch once headed north, extra track on the south side, a bridge over Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, a MARTA viaduct alongside to the south, a bridge over I-285, a spur on the south side, a bridge over Oakcliff Road, Intermediate Signals at Doraville, a spur on the south side to a cement plant, Intermediate Signals at Ray (MP 621.4), where there is a spur on the north side and tracks into the Stone Mountain Industrial Area on the south side, two grade crossings and a road alongside to the south (Buford Street, US 23), as the line leaves metropolitan Atlanta.

The line passes three more grade crossings, a detector and signals at Norcross (MP 619.0), where single track starts (with speed limit 45-40 on the turnout and all others at transitions between single and double track or vice versa) and the speed limit rises to 79-60-50, a grade crossing, an old wooden depot on the south side, a grade crossing, an embankment, a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals, a grade crossing, signals at  Carolina (MP 615.0), where double track resumes, MP 614.1, where the speed limit falls to 60-50, past a cutting and a grade crossing to MP 613.7, and then rises to 65-50 to MP 612.4, past a grade crossing, signals at Duluth (MP 612.7), where single track resumes, there is extra track, and the Southeastern Railway Museum is on the north side of the line, an angled grade crossing, a grade crossing, a detector at MP 611.0, a road alongside to the south (US 23), a bridge over a road, Intermediate Signals at Lightning, MP 609.7, where the speed limit becomes 65-50 to MP 607.9, a cutting in the woods, an embankment in a wooded area.

There are Intermediate Signals at Suwanee, where a line once headed southeast and a spur still does, dual road bridges overhead, embankment, a grade crossing, embankment, a grade crossing, a road alongside to the south, signals at Shadow Brook (MP 605.2), where double track resumes, a wooded area, a road alongside to the south, a wooded cutting, a grade crossing, embankment, Intermediate Signals at Sugar Hill (MP 602.7), where the speed limit is 60-50, a road bridge overhead, Buford, where the speed limit is 55-50, embankment, a lesser street (not US 23) to the south, a grade crossing where that street crosses, a grade crossing, a different street alongside to the south, signals at Walters (MP 600.0), where single track starts again and the speed limit is 60-50 (except for the 45-40 on the turnout), a street alongside to the south, and an angled grade crossing.

Full speeds prevail at a detector at MP 598.2, and past a road bridge overhead, and Intermediate Signals at Utsend, signals at Allen (MP 594.7), where double track resumes, with speed limit 60-50 again, woods alongside the tracks, a river alongside to the south, Flowery Branch, a street alongside to the south, a grade crossing, signals at Grif (MP 592.5), where the line reduces to single track, Oakwood, a street alongside to the south, a spur to industry heading south, a detector at MP 588.6), in a cutting, a track trailing in on the south side, a grade crossing, signals at Chicopee (MP 588.0), where double track resumes, three grade crossings, industry on the south side, and the passenger station on the north side at Gainesville.

A CSX line crosses at grade (speed limit 35 mph on the crossing) at Midland (MP 585.0), and there is a yard at Gainesville (MP 584.6), where speed limits fall to 55-50, New Holland Springs, where the line turns north, Red Lane (MP 581.0), where it reduces to single track and turns northeast with full line speeds except for a 60-50 bend at MP 579.2, White Sulphur, a detector at MP 575.1, where the line turns east, Cagle (MP 574.0), where double track resumes, and the junction with the Athens line (to the south) is reached at Lula, where the speed limit is 60-50 and then 55-50, and the line turns northeast past Belton.

Single track starts again at Yonah (MP 569.0), and the line continues curvily northeast past Raoul, MP 567.1, where speeds rise to 60-50, Alto, a detector at MP 564.1, MP 562.5, where speeds fall to 55-50, Baldwin (MP 562.0), where double track resumes, Cornelia, where the line turns east-northeast with speed limit 60-50 and a line once left to the north, Mt. Airy (MP 558.0), where full line speeds prevail, a turn to the east with speed limit 60-50 and then 55-50 past detectors at MP 552.4 and Ayersville, where speeds are 65-50, northeast and east past a wye on the south side with a former Seaboard line and the passenger station at Toccoa (MP 547.3), curvily east-northeast with speeds 60-50 past Park (MP 545.0), where single track resumes, Tugalo (MP 542.1), where double track begins again, MP 542.0, where speeds fall to 55-50 to MP 541.4, where 60-50 resumes, into South Carolina, detectors at MP 539.2, Madison, and Hastings. The line turns east, past Hunter (MP 533.8), where it falls to single track, Westminster, Jason (MP 530.2), where double track resumes, Cheney (MP 525.6), detectors at MP 526.1, MP 523.1, where speeds fall to 55-50, Seneca,  where  speeds are 45-40 as NS branches trail in from the northwest and depart to the east, and the main line turns northeast with speeds 65-50, east at Courtenay (MP 519.6), where a spur once trailed in from the north, the main line turns east and single track starts again, turning southeast past Keowee (MP 517.0), where speeds fall to 60-50, east past the passenger station at Clemson (MP 514.2), where there is extra track and a large university, and double track resumes, curvily northeast at detectors at MP 513.7, past Rowland, where it falls to single track again, Central, where speeds fall to 50 mph, Johnson (MP 508.0), where double track resumes, north past Norris, where speeds rise to 65-50, northeast past a short spell with 50 mph speed limit to detectors at MP 504.7, where speeds are 60-50, southeast and east-northeast past Traber (MP 504.1) and Liberty, where there is a short stretch of 50 mph again, north-northeast and then northeast past Beverly and Metler (MP 498.5), where single track resumes, east at Easley, where a branch trails in from the west and there is another short stretch of 50 mph followed by a short stretch of 45 mph, past Haywood (MP 493.6), where double track resumes, and detectors at MP 492.5, curvily east-northeast past Croswell (MP 489.3) and east past Falla (MP 486.5), where speeds fall to 50 mph, bridging over a CSX line to South Greenville (MP 484.5), with 20 mph on the bridge and through the station, where a branch trails in from the south, and turning north past the yard and passenger station at Greenville (MP 484.1).

The line turns east-northeast, with speed limit rising to 45-40 and a CSX line briefly alongside to the northwest, past North Greenville (MP 482.5), where the speed limit is 65-50 an industrial track leaves on the south side, Worley (MP 481.0), where it trails back in and the CSX line comes alongside on the north again, Paris, detectors at MP 479.3, where the speed limit is 60-50 and then 55-50, Taylor (MP 475.9), where single track resumes and the line turns east with speed limit 60-50, northeast to Greer, and then east again past detectors at MP 467.8 where the speed limit falls from 70-50 (from MP 470.0) to 50 mph and Duncan, northeast, bridging above that CSX line with speed limit 45-40 to Lyman (MP 464.8), where double track begins again, east and then southeast past Wellford, and curvily east past Frey Creek (MP 459.5), where the speed limit is 60-50, detectors at MP 457.2, Fairforest, and Arcadia to Hayne Junction (MP 453.6), where the speed limit is 40-35, the line from Saluda trails in from the north-northwest at the north end of Hayne Yard, and after passing the south end of Hayne Yard, the line turns east, with speed limit 35 mph, above the CSX tunnel (where the south end of the Clinchfield passes underneath, with connecting spurs on the east side), to the passenger station at Spartanburg (MP 452.6), where full line speeds prevail.