History of the Clinchfield Railroad

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Clinchfield Railroad

Clinchfield Railroad History

Editor’s Note: Some of the following was excerpted from a 1961 pamphlet created and distributed by the Clinchfield Railroad. Then, edits and enhancements were made utilizing additional sources listed below.

Initial Vision: 1831

The building of a railroad from the seacoast across the Blue Ridge Mountains seems to have been the dream of statesmen from the beginning of railroad construction in the United States.

In 1831 a meeting was held in the present day Gate City VA to discuss the need to connect the Ohio River to the Atlantic Ocean by rail, traversing the middle of the Appalachian Mountains. The meeting was called the Estillville Convention.

In 1832 John C. Calhoun, a Vice-President of the United States, advocated the building of a road from Charleston, South Carolina to Cincinnati, Ohio to give an outlet to both the expanding Ohio River area and Charleston seaport.

In 1836, the Louisville, Cincinnati, and Charleston Railroad was chartered, but very few miles of construction was completed. Thus began a succession of companies who tried, but failed due to the impassable mountain barriers and lack of consensus between states and cities/towns.

Various projects for building a railroad on a direct route from Charleston to Cincinnati were conceived, but never came to fruition due to the almost impassable mountain barriers and the lack on consensus between states, jurisdictions and investors.

Charleston Cincinnati & Chicago Railroad – 3Cs

In 1886, General John T. Wilder interested capitalists in the construction of such a railroad, organizing the Charleston Cincinnati & Chicago Railroad, known as the 3Cs. The goal of the venture was to connect the rich coal fields of Southwest Virginia and Eastern Kentucky with both the North and the South. Surveys were made, and several hundred miles of grading was completed. Seven million dollars were expended, but due to an economic crisis, work was suspended in 1893. Today, one of those segments of the 3Cs from Johnson City TN to Chestoa NC today are the basis for the Clinchfield Railroad.

In 1893, the CC&C was sold in foreclosure to the Ohio River & Charleston Railway. After 9 years of ownership, progress on the route was limited, and most segments were sold off to other railroads.

George L. Carter

In 1902, George L. Carter and Associates purchased the OR&C and organized the South & Western Railway, with the goal of developing the coal fields of the region. They acquired large tracts of coal lands in what has since become famous as the ‘Clinchfield Section.’ Work on the line progressed as addition funding was procured from Blair & Company of New York. With that funding, a new charter was granted under the name of the Carolina Clinchfield & Ohio Railway in 1908. While the general plan of the old 3Cs was followed, the new railroad was built with much higher standards with fewer curves, more tunnels and bridges, and grades less almost half of the normal in mountainous terrain.

(Photo courtesy of Library of Virginia)

George L. Carter

Once Carter departed as an executive of the railroad after the CC&O was established, John B. Dennis became the principal leader in the extension of ‘The Clinchfield Route.’ Dennis had also done more for the industrial development of the region traversed by the rail line than any other individual.

In 1913, one year before the opening of the Panama Canal, the CC&O announced they would build a coal pier at Charleston SC to export coal internationally. Click here for more details on the proposed Charleston coal terminal.

Clinchfield Railroad: 1915, Success at Last!

Clinchfield Railroad CRR

In 1915, the Clinchfield Railroad was able to finally realize that dream, constructing a railroad that set a new precedence in railroad engineering standards. George L. Carter drove the final spike, completing the 277 miles and its Elkhorn City extension.

In total, the Clinchfield:

  • had 277 miles of mainline
  • had 316 miles of line including branches
  • crossed 4 watersheds
  • had 55 tunnels that are 22′ high, 18′ wide (shortest 154′, longest 7,854′)
  • started and ended at an elevation of 770-795′ above sea level
  • climbed to 2,628′ above sea level at the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains at Altapass

This was all made possible by the foresight, talent, and courage of the following three men:

  • General John T. Wilder and the Charleston, Cincinnati, and Chicago Railroad
  • George L. Carter and the South & Western Railway and the Carolina, Clinchfield, and Ohio Railroad
  • John B. Dennis during the development and maturing of the Clinchfield Railroad and the related businesses.

Clinchfield, ACL, L&N, and the C&O

Clinchfield Railroad 1980 - Photo by Ron Flanary

The Atlantic Coast Line and the Louisville & Nashville Railroads leased the Carolina Clinchfield & Ohio Railway (CC&O) in 1924, but retroactive to May of 1923 for a period of 999 years. The two lessees entered into the agreement establishing the Clinchfield Railroad Company (CRR) as an independent organization to operate the railroad. The new organization began operations January 1925.

Even though the early goal of the Clinchfield was to transport coal, a second substantial revenue stream made the railroad even more successful. With the connection to the ACL to the south, and C&O to the north, the Clinchfield was the middle segment of a speedy merchandise rail line between north and south. In 1961, almost half of Clinchfield’s revenue was realized from manifest freight.

The first diesels arrived in on the Clinchfield in late 1948. By 1953, 66 diesel locomotives had been purchased. The last steam engine ran in 1954.

Clinchfield Railroad in the Modern Era

Throughout its years, the Clinchfield was a key and very profitable railroad for the Atlantic Coast Line/Seaboard Coast Line and the Louisville & Nashville. But once railroad mergers began in the 1950’s and 1960’s, it was inevitable that Clinchfield would become a part of a larger railroad, albeit a key component.

In 1983 the Clinchfield as a separate railroad ceased to exist, becoming part of the Seaboard System Railroad which included the SCL and the L&N. Three years later, the Seaboard System and the Chessie System were merged and renamed CSX Transportation.

Osborne’s Curve by Ron Flanary

Narrative and Photo by Ron Flanary

I wonder how many trains and how many locomotives and cars the L.G.Osborne & Son store just north of Dungannon, VA, on the former Clinchfield Railroad, has witnessed. This is milepost 56.1 (from Elkhorn City), and the four degree left hand curve (headed south) atop the fill crosses Dry Creek (which is anything but “dry” when heavy rains hit the region!). I’ve photographed trains here since the late ’60s, and I don’t recall the store being open. If you look instead, though, the shelves are still stocked with many items.

Grade work (but no track) for a railroad was first done through these parts in the 1880s, by the stillborn Charleston, Cincinnati & Chicago–the “Triple C.” In 1894 the Ohio River & Charleston took up the cause again, but it gave way to George L. Carter’s South & Western, which finally built this fill (and track this time) about 1908-09. This company morphed into the Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio, which completed the line between Spartanburg, SC and a connection with the Chesapeake & Ohio at Elkhorn City, KY in 1915. In 1925, the CC&O was leased for 999 years to the Atlantic Coast Line and Louisville & Nashville, which operated the line by the name we all remember: The Clinchfield. In September 1999 the old store witnesses yet another southbound freight operated by successor CSX Transportation. And if you had a scanner tuned to the right frequency, you would have heard: “CSX 644 South….clear signal, Osborne’s Curve…”

More Clinchfield Railroad information will be added to this page and website in the days ahead. Please let me know if you have any edits that should be made or any content you are willing to share by utilizing the comment form below. Would enjoy hearing from you if you have similar interests in the Clinchfield, the region, or model railroading.

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