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Clinchfield Railroad

Clinchfield Railroad

Clinchfield Railroad

(Photo by Dan Robie https://www.wvncrails.org/)

Even though the Clinchfield Railroad is significantly smaller and was built latter than most major railroads, its storied success far outpaces its youth and limited mainline. The Clinchfield story is:

  • a realization of a dream envisioned over seventy-five years prior
  • a new standard in engineering design and railroad construction
  • a very successful business venture that enabled a multitude of other businesses
  • and it was the creation of several smart and visionary individuals who risked it all.

The last of the Class I railroads to be built east of the Mississippi River, the Clinchfield was 277 miles in length, stretching from Elkhorn City, Kentucky to Spartanburg, South Carolina. Not only was it successful at its original purpose of hauling coal, but it also became a major bridge route for manifest freight. In partnership with the Atlantic Coast Line, Seaboard Air Line, and the Chesapeake & Ohio, it connected the Mid-West with the Southeast, and became a major east coast rail corridor.

The Clinchfield and its predecessors grand vision, risk-taking, competitive corporate battles, initial failure, and eventual success make the Clinchfield’s eventual success unique and compelling.

Today, the Clinchfield legacy lives on as part of CSX.

Ohio River to the Atlantic Ocean

The Clinchfield Railroad was a realization of a 1830s dream of one day connecting the Ohio River with the Atlantic Ocean. The goal was to create a connection, a transportation backbone, a means of commerce for the Appalachian Mountain region, and trade and business for the eastern seaboard and Ohio River ports. It was a win-win venture for all parties.

Originally, the Charleston Cincinnati and Chicago Railroad (3Cs: 1886-1893) was the first to attempt the crossing of the Appalachian Mountains at their widest point, tapping into all the natural resources that lay within. A second attempt, albeit half-funded, and maybe half-hearted, was the Ohio River & Charleston Railroad (OR&C: 1893-1902)

There were multiple ventures that attempted the Appalachian crossings through various routes as far west as Nashville, Tennessee and as far east as Cumberland, Maryland. But through the heart of southern Appalachians, the most challenging and direct route was via East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Western North Carolina.

Here’s an overview at other railroads that both succeeded and failed at bridging the Ohio River Valley to the Atlantic Ocean in the 1800/1900s via various routes to the east and west of the Clinchfield.

Charleston Cincinnati & Chicago Railroad Map 1888
George L. Carter

George L. Carter

After the 3Cs and the OR&C, as if third-time-is-a-charm, George L. Carter had the right vision, the right funding, the right design, and the right business plan. Carter’s primary goal was to mine and transport coals from his substantial land holdings in Virginia.

He bought a portion of the Ohio River & Charleston, and then proceeded to build a railroad that would eventually connect Elkhorn City KY to Spartanburg SC. Johnson City was originally going to be the mid-point and headquarters, but due to available land, Erwin TN became the business and operations center. Helping to guide Carter were two very talented individuals: M.J. Caples the designer and Chief Engineer and John B. Dennis who was the key to the investment funding and later commercial and industrial development.

Vision Realized: Clinchfield Railroad

Carter originally called his endeavor the South & Western Railway (1902-1908) to disguise his route and business plan. He changed its name to the Carolina Clinchfield & Ohio Railroad (CC&O) in 1908. Even though his first intent was to connect Elkhorn City to Charleston SC, he eventually settled on Spartanburg as the southern endpoint.

The CC&O connected to three railroads at Spartanburg, the most important of which was the Atlantic Coast Line. To the north at Elkhorn City, the Clinchfield linked with the Chesapeake and Ohio. Collectively, these three railroads made a direct manifest rail line between Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, and other cities to the north, and to Charleston and the major cities of Florida to the south. This route carried multiple manifest trains each day that delivered perishable food, auto parts, autos, chemicals, and much more.

Carter’s primary financial interest was to transport the black gold from his coal holdings in Southwest Virginia. He wanted to own both the natural resource and the means of transportation. On all counts, his investments were very profitable over many years to come. The Clinchfield was a minimal 277 miles in length, but eventually its revenue and profit were comparable to railroads that were much larger.

Clinchfield Railroad Map
Clinchfield Railroad Steam Locomotive
Clinchfield Challenger #660, Marion NC, 1949

Clinchfield’s Significance as a Railroad

  • Engineering marvel
  • Most expensive (per mile) railroad ever built to-date by the early 1900s
  • Highly efficient at carrying coal, natural resources and manifest freight
  • Last class I railroad built east of the Rocky Mountains
  • Fierce, smaller, scrappy, and successful competitor with larger east coast railroads

The two photos below are great examples of how the Clinchfield soared higher and dug deeper when it came to building a superbly engineered rail line.

Clinchfield Railroad Copper Creek Viaduct at Speers Ferry VA
Clinchfield’s Copper Creek Viaduct above, Southern Railway below
Clinchfield Railroad Loop Tunnels - Photo by Calvin Sneed
Clinchfield Loops: 3 Tunnels in a Row (Photo by Calvin Sneed)

Clinchfield’s Business Significance:

  • Key east coast manifest freight corridor
  • Highly profitable
  • Achieved some of the best railroad industry financial and operational metrics
  • Catalyst and foundation for enabling many other business ventures in the region such as coal mining, mineral mining, timber and wood products, chemical manufacturing, ammunitions manufacturing, paper/printing, and many more
Clinchfield Railroad

(A Clinchfield SD-45, photo by Ron Flanary)

Clinchfield Railroad and its Legacy:

  • Realization of the dream to bridge the Ohio River and the Atlantic Ocean across the mid-section of the Appalachian Mountain barrier
  • George L. Carter, a visionary and entrepreneur who had holdings in many businesses, especially thousands of acres of coal and natural resources. Carter’s primary goal was to have a reliable and
  • Fierce competitor with the larger C&O and Southern Railways to fight for passage along rivers.
  • Benefactor for the establishment of a regional University
  • Creator of a Model City, Kingsport, that supported many industrial companies and plants
Clinchfield Railroad 2017 Santa Claus Train - Photo by Dan Robie
Photo by Dan Robie https://www.wvncrails.org/

Clinchfield’s No.1 by Ron Flanary

Clinchfield No. 1 - Photo by Ron Flanary

Photos and Narrative by Ron Flanary

From 1968 to 1979 the Clinchfield Railroad and CSX used the refurbished #1 as a very successful promotional and community outreach effort.

Saturday, November 27, 1976: “Clinchfield Railroad Ten-Wheeler No. 1 has just arrived at Kingsport, Tennessee with the annual Santa Claus Special from Elkhorn City, Ky.

One half of the famed Hatcher brothers who always handled the “One Spot”–fireman George Hatcher–is leaning over from the engine’s deck to catch a question coming from a railfan (who is unfortunately standing atop the rail!). George was quite a guy–a POW from WWII who kept in shape for this hard firing duties on No. 1 by riding a bicycle around Erwin. He died a few years ago but lived long enough to see Clinchfield’s first F-unit, No. 800, restored and placed on the point of the 2017 train.”

“No. 1 resides in the B&O Museum in Baltimore these days, still looking exactly as she does here, except for the absence of the spit and polish and shiny copper trim. The B-unit is one of two the Clinchfield used to provide most of the motive power, as No. 1 could only handle two coaches on the strength of her 125 PSI boiler pressure.”

Clinchfield Railroad No. 1 - Photo by Ron Flanary

No. 1s Last Run

“Performing flawlessly on her last solo excursion, Clinchfield Ten-Wheeler No. 1 works upgrade along the “High Line” to the west of East Tennessee State University’s campus in Johnson City, Tenn. in June 1978. Our local club–the East Tennessee Chapter of the NRHS–had many excellent adventures with this locomotive those many years ago.”

Suggested Reading for the Clinchfield Railroad

Clinchfield Railroad Quick Links: Clinchfield Railroad Home Page | History | Predecessors | Battles | Maps | Mile Posts | Stations | Connections | Branches & Spurs | Surveys | Construction | Locomotives | Operations | Freight Trains | Passenger Trains | Timetables | Bridges | Tunnels | Grades | Loops | George L. Carter | M.J. Caples | John B. Dennis | James A. Goforth | Mergers | Family Lines | Seaboard System | CSX | Closure & Reopening | Clinchfield Model Railroads

More Clinchfield information will be added to this page and website in the days ahead. Please let me know if you have any questions, see any edits that should be made, or have any content you are willing to share. Would enjoy hearing from you if you have similar interests in the Clinchfield, the region, or model railroading.

Clinchfield.org Sources and Resources

The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the Clinchfield Railroad. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Clinchfield.org. Much of the content on the website is verified across multiple sources.

Clinchfield Railroad

Contact Us at Clinchfield.org

Would enjoy hearing from you if you have questions, suggestions, edits, or content that you are willing to share. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have similar interests in the Clinchfield or Model Railroads.

3Cs Websites

Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org