Bridges of the Clinchfield Railroad
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- Related Websites: Appalachian-Railroads.org | Southern-Railroads.org
Clinchfield Railroad Bridges
Clinchfield’s Three Miles of Bridges!
By traveling across the mountainous terrain at 90-degree angles to the river valleys and mountain ridges, 79 bridges and viaducts were required to build the Clinchfield Railroad. Those 79 bridges and viaducts totaled 3.1 miles, over 1% of the Clinchfield’s 277 miles of its rail mileage.
The longest bridge was the Broad River Viaduct at 1,360 feet. Second was the Copper Creek Viaduct at 1,091 feet. Other honorable mentions include the Catawba River and Boone Creek Viaducts. Conversely, the shortest bridge is just 18 feet.
Every effort was made build bridges that would stand the test of time and construction technology, focusing on the use of steel. Initially, there were some timber trestles, but most were replaced with earth fills during the first decades of the railroad.
Copper Creek Viaduct at Speers Ferry VA
The bridge that best exemplifies this higher standard of construction is just a few minutes north of Gate City VA across the valley of Copper Creek. As you can see from the picture above, the predecessor of the Clinchfield (the 3Cs Railroad) was initially going to use the lower bridge and roadbed, but once George Carter and M. J. Caples took over, the towering viaduct above eventually became a proverbial monument to their dedication to exemplary railroad design.
Click here to read more about the Copper Creek Viaduct at Speers Ferry, Virginia.
More information about the Clinchfield bridges will be added in the future.
Clinchfield: List of Bridges
| Name | Mile Post | Length |
| Kentucky | ||
| Pool Point | 2.4 | 390 |
| Virginia | ||
| Skaggs Hole | 7.0 | 473 |
| Bartlick Creek | 8.4 | 71 |
| Hills Mills | 10.2 | 302 |
| First McClure | 17.5 | 315 |
| Second McClure | 18.5 | 217 |
| Coney Creek | 23.0 | 147 |
| Open Fork | 26.8 | 211 |
| First Lick Creek | 37.7 | 159 |
| Second Lick Creek | 38.0 | 99 |
| Third Lick Creek | 38.6 | 117 |
| Fourth Lick Creek | 38.7 | 148 |
| Fifth Lick Creek | 39.1 | 123 |
| Crooked Branch | 39.5 | 18 |
| Sixth Lick Creek | 39.9 | 123 |
| Seventh Lick Creek | 41.1 | 148 |
| Eighth Lick Creek | 41.7 | 60 |
| First Clinch River | 42.7 | 246 |
| Second Clinch River | 47.9 | 302 |
| Bull Run | 49.2 | 60 |
| Guest River | 51.2 | 121 |
| Wolfe Branch | 53.6 | 60 |
| Little Stoney Creek | 55.1 | 60 |
| Stoney Creek | 64.6 | 95 |
| Cove Creek | 67.9 | 60 |
| Third Clinch River | 70.2 | 372 |
| Copper Creek Viaduct | 78.8 | 1,091 |
| Speers Ferry | 80.0 | 321 |
| Tennessee | ||
| North Fork Holston | 90.3 | 497 |
| U.S. 11 W | 90.6 | 120 |
| West Sullivan Street | 92.8 | 143 |
| Reedy Creek | 92.9 | 181 |
| Mad Branch | 94.7 | 76 |
| South Fork Holston | 96.5 | 611 |
| Kendrick’s Creek | 98.8 | 80 |
| Hemlock Underpass | 100.0 | 42 |
| Boone Creek Viaduct | 112.4 | 841 |
| Southern Railway & McKinely Rd. | 117.5 | 100 |
| Southern Railway (Embreeville Branch) | 117.9 | 90 |
| Greenwood Drive Underpass (highline starts) | 118.5 | 130 |
| Southwest Avenue Underpass | 119.6 | 130 |
| North Indian Creek | 130.7 | 180 |
| Martin’s Creek | 137.2 | 20 |
| Asheville Highway | 138.1 | 47 |
| Nolichucky River | 139.9 | 684 |
| Devil’s Creek | 142.5 | 60 |
| North Carolina | ||
| Toe River | 147.9 | 529 |
| Pigeon Roost Creek | 155.1 | 120 |
| Brummitt’s Creek | 155.6 | 70 |
| Big Rock Creek | 158.2 | 90 |
| Cane Creek | 166.2 | 151 |
| Rebel Creek | 174.3 | 60 |
| Snow Creek | 177.3 | 60 |
| Big Bear Creek | 179.7 | 60 |
| Toe River | 185.1 | 130 |
| First North Fork Catawba | 202.3 | 130 |
| Second North Fork Catawba | 212.8 | 154 |
| Catawba River Viaduct | 216.7 | 921 |
| Marion Underpass | 218.4 | 44 |
| Mead Underpass | 221.4 | 46 |
| North Fork Muddy Creek | 224.6 | 60 |
| First Second Broad River | 233.7 | 116 |
| Second Second Broad River | 234.8 | 90 |
| Third Second Broad River | 236.3 | 124 |
| Fourth Second Broad River | 236.7 | 90 |
| Fifth Second Broad River | 238.7 | 150 |
| Sixth Second Broad River | 242.1 | 151 |
| Robinson Creek | 245.3 | 160 |
| Seventh Second Broad River | 247.4 | 380 |
| U.S. 74 Underpass | 247.9 | 45 |
| Floyd Creek | 253.1 | 270 |
| Broad River Viaduct | 257.6 | 1,360 |
| South Carolina | ||
| Pacolet River | 268.7 | 686 |
| I-85 Underpass | 270.2 | 363 |
| Lawson’s Fork | 275.4 | 300 |
| Southern Railway Whitney Spur | 276.1 | 40 |
| Southern Railway Whitney Passing Track | 276.1 | 40 |
| Southern Railway Whitney Yard Track | 276.1 | 40 |
| I-585 Underpass | 276.4 | 200 |
| Cleveland Street | 276.8 | 123 |
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.
- Association: Carolina Clinchfield Chapter National Railway Historical Society
- Association: Louisville & Nashville Railroad Historical Society
- Association: George L. Carter Railroad Historical Society
- Association: Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society
- Personal maps, timetables, track charts, and memorabilia
- Archives of Appalachia – ETSU, Johnson City TN
- Book – Drury: ‘The Historical Guide to North American Railroads’
- Book – Goforth: ‘Building the Clinchfield’ and ‘When Steam Ran the Clinchfield’
- Book – Graybeal: ‘The Railroads of Johnson City’
- Book – Helm: ‘The Clinchfield Railroad in the Coal Fields’
- Book – Irwin & Stahl: ‘The Last Empire Builder: The Life of George L. Carter’
- Book – King: ‘Clinchfield Country’
- Book – Marsh: ‘Clinchfield in Color’
- Book – Poole: ‘A History of Railroading in Western North Carolina’
- Book – Poteat & Taylor: ‘The CSX Clinchfield Route in the 21st Century’
- Book – Stevens & Peoples: ‘The Clinchfield No. 1 – Tennessee’s Legendary Steam Engine’
- Book – Way: ‘The Clinchfield Railroad, the Story of a Trade Route Across the Blue Ridge Mountains’
- Magazines – ‘Trains‘ , ‘Classic Trains‘
- Newspaper Articles – Newspapers.com
- Online Article – Scientific American: ‘The Costliest Railroad in America‘
- Online Article – Classic Trains: ‘Remembering the Clinchfield Railroad‘
- Online Article – Railway Age: ‘This Coal Road Is Also A Speedy Bridge Line,’ Sept 1, 1952 edition
- Online Article – ‘Railway Signaling and Communications‘
- Online Article – Flanary: ‘The Quick Service Route, The Clinchfield Railroad‘
- Online Article – Flanary: ‘Men Against Mountains, Running Trains on the Clinchfield‘ October 2001
- Online Video – Ken Marsh on Kingsport area railroads and region’s history Video #1
- Online Video – Ken Marsh on railroads and region’s history Video #2:
- Website – Carolana.com – North Carolina Railroads, South Carolina Railroads
- Website – Johnson’s Depot hosted by StateOfFranklin.net
- Website – RailFanGuides.us for Johnson City and for Erwin
- Website – The Radio Reference Wiki
- Website – SteamLocomotive.com
- Website – VirginiaPlaces.org – Railroad History of Virginia
- Website – Multimodalways.org
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.
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