CSX Blue Ridge Subdivsion
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- Related Websites: Appalachian-Railroads.org | Southern-Railroads.org
Blue Ridge Subdivision – CSX
Photo: CSX Blue Ridge Subdivision at Poplar NC in the Nolichucky Gorge
As one of the most beautiful stretches of railroads in America, the CSX Blue Ridge Subdivision runs 138.6 miles from Erwin TN to Spartanburg SC and was once the ‘bottom-half’ of the Clinchfield Railroad. The busiest rail yards and operational centers of the subdivision are Bostic NC and Spartanburg SC, with occasional action at Erwin TN. Trains are also originated on the line from the north at Kingsport TN.
The subdivision includes the famed Clinchfield climb up the Nolichucky Gorge and its descent down the Loops, and vice versa. The Clinchfield was the last Class 1 Railroad built in the Eastern U.S., so it was designed and constructed with exemplary engineering standards, making the challenging terrain much easier to navigate.
Photo: Poplar NC, 2023
Rail Traffic on the Blue Ridge Subdivision
Traffic on the line continues to be 6-10 trains per day, which is more than when the line was mothballed in 2015, but less than the Clinchfield and early CSX decades. Commodities carried include chemicals, grain, coal and some merchandise.
In the past year, new signal towers and signal technologies have been installed on the subdivision. The line remains one of the best routes for crossing the Southern and Central Appalachian Mountains.
Railfanning the Blue Ridge Subdivision
Click here for a comprehensive railfan guide of the Blue Ridge Subdivision by Thomas Pittman.
More content will be added to this page in the days ahead.
Blue Ridge Sub Stats
- From: Erwin TN
- To: Spartanburg SC
- Length: 138.6 miles
- Division: Florence Divsion
- Radio Frequency: 161.1000 MHz
- Controlled by: FG Dispatcher on 161.3700 MHz
- Radio Reference Wiki: Link
- Sub to the North: Kingsport Subdivision
- Subs to the South: Belton and Spartanburg Subdivisions
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.
3Cs Websites
Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org
