Construction of the Clinchfield Railroad

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Clinchfield Railroad

Clinchfield Railroad Construction

Researched and Chronicled by Scott Jessee and Sandhi Kozsuch

Clinchfield Construction Stats

  • Construction Began: 1902 as the South & Western Railway initially planning to use lesser construction standards (more curves, more grades)
  • Construction Standards Updated: 1905 with fewer curves and minimized grades. Goals were 0.5% grade, and 6 degree curves.
  • Contractor: Meadows Company
  • Cost – Dante VA to Spartanburg SC: $30M+, almost $125,000 per mile.
  • Completed – Dante VA to Spartanburg SC: 1909
  • Construction Began – Elkhorn City KY extension: 1912
  • Cost – Elkhorn Extension: $5 million
  • Completed to Elkhorn City KY: 1915

Clinchfield’s Two Chapters

The Clinchfield was not the first railroad to have the vision of building a coal and manifest railroad through the widest point of the Central Appalachians. The 3Cs, Charleston Cincinnati & Chicago Railroad had a similar vision, but construction fell far short, a testament as to just how challenging this vision could be.

However, George Carter and his team were able to complete the formidable task. The design and construction took 13 years, and can be divided into two distinct chapters.

Clinchfield (S&W) Design – Pre 1905

The first chapter was from 1902 to 1905 where George L. Carter was trying to piece together a new railroad from segments of failing or defunct railways. He wanted to create a singular line that would carry his coal from southwest Virginia to an Atlantic port and to other southern markets. Buying and rehabilitating these existing railroads would have created a sub-par rail line, inefficient and costly to operate. His initial design and construction was underway, but Carter eventually ran out of funding.

Clinchfield Design & Construction – 1905 and After

The second chapter began in 1905 when two key players joined Carter’s team: John Blair and his Blair and Company investment bank providing extensive funding and investment, and Martin J. Caples was the gifted engineer and operational genius who persuaded them to build a railroad of high engineering standards with low grades and minimal curves.

The primary years of construction were 1906 to 1908 and 1912 to 1915, delivering the costliest (per-mile) U.S. railroad built to date, the 277 mile Carolina Clinchfield & Ohio Railway that would soon become the Clinchfield Railroad. And even though it was an expensive railroad to build, it also became one of the most profitable railroads in the U.S.

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