Lick Creek & Lake Erie Railroad
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- Related Websites: Appalachian-Railroads.org | Southern-Railroads.org
Lick Creek & Lake Erie Railroad: Clinchfield Predecessor
Gotta love the name of this Virginia railroad…..it ran along Lick Creek and ran north in the general direction of Lake Erie! The LC&LE was 7 miles long and ran from Fink to Dante Virginia utilizing a portion of the unfinished Charleston Cincinnati & Chicago Railroad grade.
It became part of the Carolina Clinchfield & Ohio Railway in 1908, which later was renamed the Clinchfield Railroad.
Information above is only an introduction and placeholder. More content to be added on the LC&LE in the coming days.
Lick Creek & Lake Erie Railroad Stats
- Incorporated: 1902
- Length: Not to exceed 20 miles
- Route: Near St. Paul VA at a junction with the Norfolk & Western, northward to Dante
- Construction Completed: 7 Miles from Fink to Dante VA
- Purchased: 1908 by the Carolina Clinchfield & Ohio Railway
- LC&LE Today: The northern segment of the Clinchfield Railroad, which is now part of CSX Transportation. Portions of the initial route not utilized by the CC&O can be seen south of Dante.
Lick Creek & Lake Erie Today by Ron Flanary
May 12, 2009: “A northbound empty unit coal train coils out of the nearly 14-degree Pine Tree Curve at Hamlin, Va. The bridge spans Lick Creek–the fifth such crossing over the next mile as the railroad twists and turns its way up the narrow valley to keep the northbound grade within reason. From Dante to the summit tunnel under Sandy Ridge, the ascent will briefly touch 1.8 percent.” Photo and narrative by Ron Flanary.
Lick Creek & Lake Erie Links for More Information
https://archives.etsu.edu/agents/corporate_entities/1091
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.
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