of the Seaboard Air Line. John Skelton Williams served as the first president of the Seaboard Air Line, and he would later serve as the United States Comptroller of the Currency. The Georgia and Alabama Railway connected to the Seaboard Air Line's main line in Savannah. Once under the ownership of the Seaboard Air Line, the line was designated as the company's Savannah Subdivision from Savannah to Americus, and the Montgomery Subdivision from Americus to Montgomery. The Seaboard continued to operate passenger service between Savannah and Montgomery, as well as local freight trains and their Red Ball freight trains along the route. This included named freight trains such as the Alaga and the Pioneer. In 1944, the Seaboard Air Line acquired the Georgia Florida and Alabama Railway, which ran from Richland south to Florida. This acquisition generated more traffic on the former SA&M since it provided the Seaboard with not only an additional route to Florida, but also a direct route to Florida from Montgomery. On June 28, 1959, a Seaboard mixed freight train derailed on the line crossing the Ogeechee River in Meldrim. Loaded LPG tank cars from the train plunged into the river below and ruptured. The resulting fire and explosion from the ruptured tanks killed 23 people along the river that day as it was a popular area to swim and picnic at. Later years In 1967, the Seaboard Air Line merged with its rival, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, and the combined company was named the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. The Atlantic Coast Line operated a nearly parallel route between Savannah and Montgomery just to the south (much of that line was historically the Savannah, Florida and Western Railway). The company initially retained both lines in the combined network and designated the Seaboard Air Line route as the Vidalia Subdivision from Savannah to Americus, and the Americus Subdivision from Americus to Montgomery (the Savannah Subdivision designation was then reused for the company's main lines in Savannah). While the SA&M line remained in service after the merger, traffic diminished since the company favored the Atlantic Coast Line's route from Savannah to Montgomery. In 1980, the Seaboard Coast Line's parent company merged with the Chessie System, creating the CSX Corporation. The CSX Corporation initially operated the Chessie and Seaboard Systems separately until 1986, when they were merged into CSX Transportation. The line was abandoned between Montgomery and Mahrt,