At the complex of junctions at 27th Street (MP 142.0), where the old tower still stands on the south side, four tracks approach from the west-southwest, with a former Southern line departing north-northwestward at a single-track wye on the north side, and a double-track former L&N line departing northward within the wye at the west apex, crossing the double track east leg at grade on its way, and a connection departing on the south side, east of the east apex of the wye, to the two-track former Seaboard line that now starts parallel to the single track, ABS, 55 mph, former Southern main line on the south side, with the double track former Alabama Great Southern line alongside to the north, and the [closed?] SLOSS steel mill buildings alongside to the north of the AGS. There is a flat crossing with another leg of a wye with that former L&N line heading north, at the signals at 32nd Street (MP 141.8/798.2), where stuffed-and-mounted Frisco 2-8-2 4018 sits on the north side of the line, with a spur from a plant trailing in on the south side, a grade crossing (32nd Street) just on its east side, a spur heading away southeast, Intermediate Signals at MP 797.x (a cantilever signal bridge new in 4/09), a road bridge overhead, a former rail-served industry on the south side, a grade crossing (at which the AGS has three tracks), a rail-served industry on the south side, extra track (siding?) on the south side, Avondale, a spur from a grain facility on the south side trailing in, a grade crossing, and Woodlawn Junction (MP 139.9), on the former AGS (now down to two tracks), where a line trails in from the west-northwest, a connector eases away from the ex-Southern, and a line once trailed in from the west a little further east, with a grade crossing just east of the junction.
The lines then curve around to the east, with speed limit 40-35, past a bridge over a road below, Intermediate Signals at MP 794.x, three grade crossings, Intermediate Signals at Brussel (MP 137.2), on the former AGS, and a grade crossing, turn northeast past a section where the AGS is in tunnel or otherwise covered, Irondale (more new signals in 4/09), a road bridge overhead, a north side connector to the former AGS at Irondale Junction (MP 791.8) on the former Southern (where there are also new signals in 4/09), and the southwest end of Norris Yard (MP 135.1), on the north side of the former AGS, four extra tracks on the south side, and spurs from a scrap-metal facility on the south side trailing in. The connector turns away north from the former Southern just before the former Southern turns east on the single-track south leg of the wye to Norris Junction (MP 790.7), where the line is double track (since some time after 8/07), the speed limit is 35-30. The former Alabama Great Southern line to Chattanooga continues northeast, alongside that yard, with a road bridge overhead and the north leg of that wye trailing in from the northwest at Norris Junction.
The line turns northeast, double track, ABS, with speed limit 79-55, passes two grade crossings and under a CSX (former Seaboard) line, and leaves metropolitan Birmingham, past a signal bridge, a line trailing in on the north side, and a road bridge overhead, turning southeast, east past dual road bridges overhead, a signal bridge (Intermediate Signals) at Diamond Head, down in a cutting, Lovick (MP 787.7), where the Central of Georgia once turned away northeast on a still-visible embankment, curves back and forth while climbing, past a road bridge overhead, a grade crossing, a bridge over a stream down below in a ravine, a deep rock cutting, Intermediate Signals at MP 785.x, and a viaduct over a road below just before the turn north to Henry Ellen (MP 784.3), where an 8,976 ft. siding starts, the line turns southeast, there is a river on the south side, a bridge over an Interstate highway below, the CofG once trailed in from the northwest, also bridging that highway, past a grade crossing, Central (MP 782.7), where the siding ends, the former CofG line to Opelika turns away east (i.e. on the north side of the line) and the speed limit rises to 40-35 again, three grade crossings, an old depot on the north side and a street on the south side at Leeds (MP 781.9), where the line reduces to single track, there is extra track, the speed limit is 50-45, and the line turns east, a detector at MP 781.8, a line trails in on the north side, with extra track or a southwest quadrant connector on the south side, a bridge carries the former CofG line over the main line heading south, and the line turns northeast.
The line continues past a highway alongside to the south, a grade crossing, a road alongside to the north, a dirt road grade crossing, Coleman (MP 778.1), where a 10,041 ft. siding on the south side starts and a spur trails in on the south side from a petroleum facility, a grade crossing, a bridge over a ravine, a rock cutting, Brompton (MP 776.2), where the siding ends, a spur heads away to industry (Jenkins Brick Company) on the south side, there is a grade crossing, and the speed limit is 45-40, curvily east, with speed limit 40-35, Intermediate Signals at MP 774.x, into and through heavily wooded hills, with a high embankment and a bridge over a stream, northeast, east with speed limit 55 mph, past Intermediate Signals at Prescott, a detector at MP 771.7, where the speed limit is 50 mph, a bridge over a road below, up on a high embankment, and Intermediate Signals at Cooks Springs (MP 771.7, speed limit 35 mph), southeast, past a bridge over a road below, a dirt road grade crossing, and a rocky cutting, through the Cooks Springs Tunnel (speed limit 30 mph), east-northeast, with speed limit 35 mph, to Roberts (MP 769.8), where the speed limit rises to 45 mph and a 10,032 ft. siding on the south side starts, southeast, with speed limit 50 mph past a bridge over a stream, and then northeast past Holt (MP 767.8), where the siding ends and the speed limit falls to 40 mph, southeast, east, southeast with speed limit 50 mph, past a grade crossing, east-northeast past Intermediate Signals at Eaton/Eden (MP 765.x), a grade crossing, a dirt road grade crossing, a grade crossing, extra track on the north side, three grade crossings, a road bridge overhead, and Intermediate Signals at MP 764.4, where the speed limit rises to 55 mph, a Seaboard line (ex-Atlanta, Birmingham & Coast?) once turned away north (and a spur still does) and a Birmingham & Atlantic line once turned away south, followed by extra track on the south side and a grade crossing.
The line turns east-southeast past a bridge over a stream, MP 763, extra track trailing in on the south side, Intermediate Signals at Pell City (MP 762.x), a detector at MP 762.9, a grade crossing, and a spur to industry on the south side, northeast along the north shore of Logan Martin Lake with speed limit 55-50, past a grade crossing, a road bridge overhead, Interstate highway bridges overhead, Seddon and Intermediate Signals at Riverside (MP 760.x), a grade crossing, east on a through truss bridge across the Coosa River, which appears to be a lake, here, past Coosa (MP 757.9), where a 10,560 ft. siding on the south side starts, a spur on the south side heading away southeast, a road bridge overhead, two extra tracks on the north side, then sidings for auto carriers, spurs curving away to an auto plant on the north side, and the second leg of a wye from the same plant trailing in, Embry (MP 756.1), where that siding ends and the speed limit rises to 60-55, a spur from a petroleum facility on the south side trailing in, dual road bridges overhead, a detector at MP 755.0, two grade crossings, Intermediate Signals at Lincoln, extra track on the south side, a detector at MP 751.8, Intermediate Signals at MP 751.x, a grade crossing, MP 751, a grade crossing, a curve northeast, a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at MP 749.x, and a curve east-southeast, with speed limit 50-45, to Estaboga, east-northeast past a dirt road grade crossing, a road alongside to the north, a grade crossing, a spur trailing in on the north side, a grade crossing, and a bridge over a stream.
A 17,952 ft. siding on the north side starts and track heads northeast at Gray (MP 747.4), partway along the siding, into Anniston Army Depot, and then trails back out again, Bynum (MP 744.9), where there is another connection into the army depot (with six tracks inside the depot), extra track, and the siding ends with a signal bridge at the east end, and a detector at MP 741.6. The line turns northeast, where a former L&N line once came alongside to the southeast, past a bridge over a stream, with the Army Depot still alongside to the north, east, with speed limit 60-55, past a road bridge overhead, and a signal bridge for Intermediate Signals (MP 739.x), northeast, with speed limit 45 mph to MP 737.3 and 50 mph thereafter, past a road alongside to the north, and four grade crossings, to Intermediate Signals at Letchers (MP 736.7), where a spur on the south side trails in, there is extra track and a coal yard on the north side, that former L&N line once crossed at grade and left to the north at a wye (a spur is still there), there are two grade crossings and a bridge over a stream, and the main line turns around to the south, with the speed limit falling to 45 mph, past extra track on the south/west side, a road bridge overhead, a grade crossing under the road bridge, two extra tracks plus three yard tracks on the west side, a bridge over a stream, a grade crossing, the station at Anniston (MP 735.0), which has umbrella shed on the platform on the main line and a depot on the east side, in the vee of the main line and the spur from the north, three extra tracks and three yard tracks on the west side, and a spur of the former L&N from Fort McClellan trailing in from the north on the east side of the line, where the speed limit is 25 mph over the track connections, a spur trails in from the northwest, the two track NS line to Talladega diverges to the south (on the west side), and a 6,416 ft. siding starts.