My Fellow Weakley County Historians,

 After four years of research and writing I am proud to announce the completion of my book NEXT STOP ON GRANDPA’S ROAD- History and Architecture of the NC&St.L Depots and Terminals. My love of the Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway runs deep. It is to the memory of this railroad line and its depots that I have dedicated the writing of this works.

  Although the main emphasis of my book is the depots and terminals of the NC&St.L, the book also chronicles the history of how railroading made a fledgling start in the state of Tennessee and those that border it. The book also gives the reader information on railroad operations, how signals, train orders and the telegraphs were used to control the movement of the trains on the system. For the historian, there is a chapter chronicling the railroads role in the segregation of this country and tells the story of how some of the greatest advancements in Civil Rights began with the railroads.

   Since I was raised in Dresden, there is a special emphasis in the book as it relates to the depots in Dresden, Martin, Ralston, Gibbs, and Gleason.  There are extra drawings and photographs of these stations as well as an emphasis on the role Weakley Co. played in the construction of the Nashville and Northwestern RR. in the years just before the War Between the States.  (Included is the deed for the property on which was built the Ralston Depot.)

  The book contains a multitude of photographs, architectural drawings and illustrations related to the NC&St.L, the cities and counties it passed through, as well as the depots of the company. Extensive research was done on the local, state, and national level at libraries and archives to bring to you the history and photographs of this railroad across the states of Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, and Alabama.

Some highlights from the book:

•    Over 325 pages; 500 photographs of depot, terminals and other related structure most dating to the turn of the twentieth century. (Including an extensive photo collection from the National Archives in College Park, MD. dated 1916.)
•    Photos and information on how the old depots have been reused as offices, homes, businesses, museums, restaurants, and storage.
•    A listing of all the depots and other structures located in each town along the route of the NC&St.L Ry.
•    Almost 200 pages of the history of the coming and growth of the railroads to the four state area served by the NC&St.L.
•    Chronicled are the remaining structures of the NC&St.L Ry. This author took many field trips to photograph and document them.
•    See photographs of the train depots of your county and surrounding areas ca.  1916-1960s.

   I welcome you to visit my website below for additional information, to see what others who have read the manuscript for the book are saying, and for ordering options.

 http://www.ncstldepots.com/    


Terry L. Coats
226 Swift Drive
Goodlettsville, Tennessee. 37072-1331.

The book is in its third printing. I will ship your copy immediately after receiving payment.

Thank you,

Terry L.  Coats
President- Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway
Preservation Society

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