The Pickens railroad originated in December 1890, when it was chartered by the state, and linked Easley and Pickens with a connection at Easley to the Atlanta & Charlotte Air Line Railroad, later part of the Southern Railway. From its first operation in 1898 until 2013, the Doodle line hauled a variety of goods and played an important industrial and economic role in both towns. Locals called it the Pickens Doodle because the freight engine could not be turned around and had to run backward from Easley to Pickens, resembling a doodlebug. Its first run to Easley began ominously when local children placed spikes on the rails, causing the train to jump the track and derail.