*1902 purchased by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad.

1896 acquired the Marietta & North Georgia Railroad.

When the Atlanta, Knoxville & Northern Railroad was completed, the route of the recently-acquired Marietta & North Georgia Railroad through the mountains of western North Carolina was unnecessary, and it was relegated to a branch line with only sporadic traffic.

The new owners decided to relay all track to standard gauge and to correct a poorly-designed switchback near the Hiwassee River that previously allowed the train to haul only a few cars at a time. This switchback was replaced with new track that circled Bald Mountain, which earned the nickname of the "Hook & Eye" route because the track completed a loop and crossed under itself with the use of a trestle.

Towns on Route (in NC):

NC/GA State Line

Culberson

Ranger > Oak Park (1912)

Kinsey

Murphy