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====== The MT&A Continues ======
In my imaginistory of the Middle Tennessee & Alabama (MT&A), we displace the truth of the sale of the line to the NC&StL in 1897, as well as the abandonment of the line in 1929. This allows the line to continue to exist as a stand-alone short line and operate into modern times. We allow for the sale of the DC&NO to the MT&A (as I prefer the name Middle Tennessee & Alabama, as that is the states in which I have lived my entire life), however the MT&A, in our imaginistory, was successful in operating the railroad. There were hardships to overcome, but through brilliant leadership, the MT&A was able to overcome those hardships and become successful. The MT&A would go on to contribute and change the history of North Alabama and south-central Tennessee.

There were other rail lines in the north Alabama and southern Tennessee area that were much like the MT&A.  Our imaginistory of the MT&A is based on the continued existence of the MT&A, but also on these other lines.  The Huntsville Branch, running from Decherd, TN to the Tennessee River on the south side of Huntsville, AL is one of these lines.  Part of the Huntsville Branch was abandoned, part of it because the Mercury & Chase Railroad of the North Alabama Railroad Museum, and part of it because the new short line called The Huntsville and Madison County Railroad (HMCR). The Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia Railway (TAG) is another one.  Other railroads in the general area are the Tennessee Sothern Railroad, the Three Notch Railroad, the Conecuh valley Railroad, the Caney Fork and Western Railroad, the Walking Horse and Eastern Railroad, the Sequatchie Valley Railroad, and the Nashville and Eastern Railroad, along with the Alabama, Tennessee, and Northern.  Many of these railroads started up as lines were abandoned by the larger railroads of the time (L&N/NC&StL, Seaboard, Family Lines, CSX, Southern, Norfolk Southern, etc.)

There are a number of defunct railroads in Tennessee and Alabama to study for ideas of operations in different time-periods.  A substantial number of small railroads, like the MT&A, were absorbed by larger railroad companies and then eventually ceased to exist.  My goal in creating an imaginistory for the MT&A is to have a tool to use to teach railroad history, but also to have an operating railroad.

We will be breaking up the imaginistory of the MT&A into several eras. Each of these eras will be covered in separate articles on this site. We start to modify the real history in what we call [[themiddleyears|“The Middle Years”]], this time period covers from the 1890s to the late 1920s, replacing the years when the MT&A was owned by the NC&StL. Then we will cover [[theleanyears|“The Lean Years”]], the years of the Great depression, when our country had great hardships. Following this, the railroad will grow through [[thewaryears|“The War Years”]]. The last half of the 1940s are called [[afterthewaryears|“After the War Years”]] and again were slim times for the MT&A. However, [[theredstoneyears|“The Redstone Years”]] allowed the MT&A to expand its services again. “The Redstone Years” continue from the early 1950s through the 1960s. The 1970s are called [[theyearsofinnovation|“The Years of Innovation”]]. The MT&A, again through brilliant leadership, was able to make changes that would ensure that it was able to survive. There were other changes that affected the MT&A throughout the late 1960s through to the present day. I have divided this into two different eras, calling them [[combinedtransportation|“Combined Transportation”]] and [[anewtypeofbusiness|“A New Type of Business”]].

Hopefully, we can look forward to the MT&A lasting well into the future and providing service to the community around it.  Even if the real MT&A ceased to exist in 1929, nearly 100 years from when I started building the model and developing this imaginistory, it can serve by reminding us of the rich heritage of our past and the contributions made by many in the transportation fields.