Wrecks on the Clinchfield Railroad

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Clinchfield Railroad

Clinchfield Railroad Derailments and Wrecks

Researched and Chronicled by Scott Jessee, Ron Flanary, Mike Tilley, Bob Harvey and Sandhi Kozsuch

Even though the Clinchfield was well designed with broad curves, reduced grades, and steel bridges, it is a fact of life that railroads will have derailments and wrecks. With modern technology and upgrades to railroad infrastructure, derailments have become less frequent.

Using press reports, plus an in-depth look at the Wininger wreck by Ron Flanary, the list below outlines the Clinchfield’s more notable derailments and wrecks.

Clinchport VA – December 3, 1910

  • An empty coal train derailed after striking a fallen rock.
  • Three crewmen lost their lives.
  • 2 engines and 5 cars tumbled down the embankment.
  • More details at: The Bamberg SC Herald, Newspapers.com

Erwin TN – July 17, 1919

  • More information to be added
  • Coal train lost its brakes

Kermit VA – December 8, 1919

  • Passenger train #2 northbound to Elkhorn City KY derails at Kermit TN due to broken rail.
  • Two passenger coaches overturned.
  • Seven people were injured, but most were minor and did not require hospitalization.
  • More details at: Kingsport Times, Newspapers.com

Berry Gap/Altapass NC – February 7, 1932

  • Passenger Train #38 going south and a pusher engine going north collided head-on.
  • Engineer and fireman in the passenger train engine were killed. The pusher crew and the passengers all survived, many with minor injuries.
  • Cause: Crew on pusher engine proceeded onto mainline without permission
  • More details at: Mitchell County Historical Society

Tunnel Near Speers Ferry – February 15, 1933

  • A fallen rock inside a tunnel near Speers Ferry derails the engine and six freight cars.
  • Engineer was seriously injured.
  • It took several days to clear the wreckage, so the Clinchfield trains were diverted to the Southern Railway via Moccasin Gap VA.
  • More details at: Kingsport Times, Newspapers.com

Dante VA – August 11, 1936

  • More information to be added
  • Head-on collision
  • Rule violation and poor past practices

Waycross TN – February 5, 1946

  • Head on collision between #97 and a Kingsport yard crew
  • Engineer of #97 seriously injured, other 7 crewmen had minor injuries. Most of the crew jumped and avoided more serious injury.
  • Yard crew and train had overlooked the fact that #97 was scheduled.
  • More details at: Kingsport Times-News, Newspapers.com

Erwin TN – June 20, 1946

  • More information to be added
  • Coal train lined into track occupied by another train

Boone TN – June 1, 1947

  • More information to be added
  • Coal train struck rear of train ahead at Boone tank.

Nolichucky Gorge – April 21, 1948

  • More information to be added
  • Boiler explosion

Clinch Mountain Tunnel – August 15, 1948

  • SB Train #92 derailed inside the tunnel due to broken rail.
  • 23 cars derailed, including two carloads of fresh meat.
  • No injuries
  • Clean-up required 3 days.
  • More details at: Kingsport Times, Newspapers.com

Kermit VA – March 5, 1949

  • Two engines and two cars derailed
  • No injuries
  • Damage to the two engines estimated at $5,000 each
  • More details at: Kingsport Times-News, Newspapers.com

Clinchport VA – February 8, 1956

  • The first of two wrecks along the Clinch River in 1956 caused by landslides.
  • Twenty-seven cars of #97 derailed
  • Perishable produce was scattered for three quarters of a mile.
  • No injuries
  • More details at: Danville VA Bee, Newspapers.com

Clinchport VA – June 5, 1956

  • A freight train hit a boulder than had fallen onto the tracks.
  • Four engines and twenty-five cars derailed
  • No injuries
  • More details at: Kingsport Times-News, Newspapers.com

Clinchport VA – January 28, 1957

  • 4 engines and 15 cars tumble down high embankment along Clinch River
  • #97 the Florida Perishable
  • Cause: Rock slide
  • Minor injuries
  • More details at: Kingsport Times-News, Newspapers.com

Marion NC – July 7, 1959

  • More information to be added
  • Merchandise freight wreck near depot and subsequent fire (I believe Ray Poteat witnessed this wreck.)

Wininger VA – October 23, 1965 by Ron Flanary

The Wininger derailment is thought to be the Clinchfield’s largest in terms of number of cars derailed, 47 cars of coal, plus the engines. Fortunately no one was injured.

Since this was a southbound loaded coal train, and with the large number of cars derailed, clearing all the coal and wreckage was an arduous and round-the-clock task. But, the Clinchfield crew miraculously opened a temporary track within three days.

During those 72 hours, neighboring railroads provided alternate routes for the Clinchfield’s manifest trains, and the C&O and N&W lent their cranes.

Ron Flanary in his usual fashion does an outstanding job of chronicling the wreck as if we were an eyewitness to the event. Click here to read the full article.

Green Mountain NC – October 25, 1970

  • More information to be added
  • Head-on collision

Boone TN – March 31, 1973

  • More information to be added
  • 47-car derailment

Towers Tunnel – April 19, 1974

  • More information to be added
  • Head-on inside the tunnel
  • Crew error

Colonial Heights TN – October 14, 1975

  • More information to be added
  • Near Kendricks Creek Bridge

Wininger VA – August 24, 1977

  • More information to be added
  • Just north of Copper Creek, southbound hit a rockslide
  • Engines rolled down the side of the mountain. Southern Railway derrick rerailed them onto Southern tracks.
  • For clarification: was this the wreck where the cub crewman hiked down to 23, thumbed a ride to Erwin, and was never heard from again?

Speers Ferry VA – October 14, 1977

  • Three cars fall from the Clinchfield’s bridge over U.S. 23, blocking the highway.
  • Three people had minor injuries when their car wrecked due to the railroad cars on the highway.
  • Full set of cars trucks can still be seen along track.
  • More details at: Kingsport Times-News, Newspapers.com

Speers Ferry VA – August 31, 1978

  • Five cars topple from Clinchfield’s Copper Creek Trestle.
  • No injuries
  • More details at: Greenville News (S.C.), Newspapers.com

Brice VA – Jan 16, 1982

  • More information to be added
  • Extra northbound hit an automobile left on the tracks
  • Fireman was killed

Toe River Gorge NC – July 8, 1982

  • More information to be added
  • Near Pigeon Roost Trestle
  • Railroad cars rolled onto highway

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.

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