M. J. Caples

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Clinchfield Railroad

M. J. Caples – General Manager & Chief Engineer

A Key Hire for the Clinchfield

Researched and chronicled by Scott Jessee and Sandhi Kozsuch

Without a doubt, one of George L. Carter’s best decisions was to hire M. J. (Martin Joseph) Caples as his General Manager and Chief Engineer. Caples was laser-focused on building a railroad that was flat as possible and as straight as possible, allowing for maximum efficiency and less operational costs. To this day, Caple’s designs for tunnels and bridges and track alignment have needed few changes or upgrades.

M. J. Caples
Martin J. Caples - Columbus Evening Dispatch - June 16, 1916

Picture: Front page article and picture of Martin J. Caples being elected President of the Columbus, Ohio Chamber of Commerce. Columbus Evening Dispatch, June 16, 1916.

Caples, who was originally with the N&W, joined the South & Western Railway in 1905, and worked for George L. Carter as his second in command until 1911. William Way in ‘The Clinchfield Railroad’ described Caples the best: “The road was planned by an operating man with an engineer’s training – M. J. Caples. No expense was spared in the preliminary surveys, and a great amount of time, patience, and study was put into the planning of the road.”

After his tenure with the CC&O, he joined the Chesapeake & Ohio and Hocking Valley Railways and was in charge of operation, maintenance and construction. He was responsible for finishing the C&O’s Northern Sub-Division out of Russell KY to Columbus OH, including the Sciotoville Bridge across the Ohio River. Like the CC&O Railway, the bridge is considered an engineering marvel.

M. J. Caples’ Bio

  • 1864: Born in Ireland
  • 1883: Entered Railway Service
  • 1931: Died in Trenton NJ (67 years of age)

M.J. Caples’ Resume

Caples railway experience took him from as far north as Maine, to South America. In total, he spent 48 years of his life in railroading. Here are the key positions he held in the railroad industry in an era where construction and operation standards were being greatly improved.

  • 1883-1887: Boston & Maine Railroad – Roadman and Division Engineer
  • 1887-1889: Railroad surveying in South America
  • 1889-1905: Norfolk & Western Railway – Resident Engineer, Division Engineer, & Superintendent
  • 1905-1911 South & Western/Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio Railways – General Manager and Chief Engineer
  • 1911-1918 Chesapeake & Ohio and Hocking Valley Railways – Vice-President in charge of operation, maintenance, and construction.
  • 1918-1928: Seaboard Air Line Railway – Vice-President and Director

Two of Caples Engineering Marvels

Caples was a visionary engineering leader creating such marvels as the Clinchfield Loops and the Sciotoville Bridge across the Ohio River.

Sciotoville Bridge
Clinchfield Loops
CRR Loops photo by Calvin Sneed

Caples’ Design of the Clinchfield Railroad

Click here to read more about Caple’s design of the Clinchfield Railroad, considered an engineering marvel in railroad construction.

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

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