Division 5 Survey of the Clinchfield Railroad

Home » Surveys of the Clinchfield Railroad » Division 5 Survey of the Clinchfield Railroad
Clinchfield Railroad

CRR Survey – Spruce Pine to Catawba River, Including the Loops

This segment of the Clinchfield Railroad (South & Western Railway) is particularly famous for its climb up/down the front ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. A large portion of this segment is now called ‘The Loops’ and is considered an engineering marvel.

Initial surveys were done in 1902. The final and adopted survey was completed in 1906. Both McKinney Gap (east) and Gillespie Gap (west) were considered as crossing points on the ridge.

After consideration, President George L. Carter and General Manager/Chief Engineer M.J. Caples decided on the survey with a 1.2% grade with the use of broader 8-degree curves when possible (Survey #18, Adopted Line). This route had a length of 34.9 miles from Spruce Pine NC to the Catawba River, crossing the Blue Ridge at McKinney Gap.

Division 5 Survey Options

The Clinchfield/S&W had several survey options to choose from:

  • 1% grade – Survey #2 – McKinney Gap: 40.5 miles with 14-degree curves. This option had a much larger number of curves, weaving in and out of the ridges.
  • 1.2% grade – Survey #18 – McKinney Gap: (Constructed/Operated): 34.9 miles with 8-14 degree curves.
  • 1.5% grade – Survey #1 – McKinney Gap: 30.4 miles with 14-degree curves
  • 1.8% grade – Survey #14 & #15 – Gillespie Gap: 33.5 miles
  • Steep grade – Surveys #14 & #16 – Gillespie Gap: 22.5 miles (ended west of Marion)

The survey index below does not signify if any of these S&W surveys incorporated the original 3Cs survey, or even reference a location for the 3Cs proposed grade. It is known that the 3Cs would have used Gillespie Gap and Armstrong Creek, which would be similar to survey options 14 and 15.

It appears that the Gillespie Gap options were not preferred alternatives, as the surveys were not fully completed. Additionally, the Johnson City Southern (Southern Railway) had announced in 1905 that they would build their railroad through Gillespie Gap.

Construction of Clinchfield’s Division 5 and the Loops was completed in 1908.

Clinchfield Railroad Survey Division 5 Index

Surveys provided by Scott Jessee

Use the zoom features on your browser to view the index and map in more detail.

Clinchfield Railroad Survey Division 5 Map

Interactive Map: Clinchfield Loops Survey Options

So you can better see and understand the various options for the Clinchfield Loops, and the Clinchfield Railroad segment from Spruce Pine NC to the Catawba River: click here for a Google interactive map.

Zoom in, zoom out, and move around on the map to see the proposed surveys in greater detail.

The Charleston Cincinnati & Chicago Railroad (3Cs) had planned to cross this same area on its way to Charleston SC. It had planned to use Gillespie Gap, and then follow Armstrong Creek down to the Catawba River. It’s routing would have probably followed survey options 14 and 15, with higher grades, less tunnels, and a multitude of tight curves.

Yellow is the Clinchfield Loops as constructed. Orange is a longer option with a lesser grade. Dark purple was the S&W’s steeper option with a 1.8% grade, and similar to the 3Cs.

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