Ron Flanary
- Clinchfield Railroad Home Page
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- Destinations | Elkhorn City | Breaks | Dante | Speers Ferry | Kingsport | Johnson City | Erwin | Nolichucky Gorge | Spartanburg | and more
- Clinchfield Model Railroads
- Resources: Books | Scholars | Museums
- Clinchfield.org: Editor | Site Map
- Related Websites: Appalachian-Railroads.org | Southern-Railroads.org
Ron Flanary
A Man of Many Talents
Ron Flanary is a well-known Railroad Industry Expert and Historian, Author of books and many magazine articles, Artist, and exemplary Photographer. His photos, art and words have provided thousands of us a front row seat to the Clinchfield, L&N, Southern, and so many others.
In his latest book, ‘The Southern Railway,’ his bio reads:
As a youngster growing up in southwestern Virginia, Ron Flanary was intrigued by the Southern Railway and its subsidiaries. He became a contract janitor at the Southern-Interstate Railroad division offices in Andover VA, during his last two years in college. In 1970-72 he was a management trainee in Southern’s engineering department before opting for a different career path as an economic development and public infrastructure professional. He’s been a prolific writer, photographer, and occasional artist for over 50 years. Retired, Ron lives in Big Stone Gap VA with his wife, Wilma, and plays jazz trumpet to augment his railroad interests.”
Below is just a small portion of his knowledge, books, articles and photos.
Books by Ron Flanary
- ‘The Southern Railway’: https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/book/83227
- ‘The Louisville & Nashville Cumberland Valley Division Album’: https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31355582036
- ‘The Louisville & Nashville in the Appalachians’: https://www.amazon.com/Louisville-Nashville-Appalachians-Ron-Flanary/dp/B0006EV5HC
- ‘Dixie Lines: The Louisville & Nashville Railroad’: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/dixie-lines-the-louisville–nashville-railroad_david-oroszi_ron-flanary/13842509/#edition=14747541&idiq=47698897
- ‘The Tracks of My Years’: https://www.amazon.com/Tracks-My-Years-Ron-Flanary/dp/B007GO3WHQ
- ‘Louisville & Nashville Diesel Locomotives’: https://www.abebooks.com/9781883089313/Louisville-Nashville-Diesel-Locomotives-Charles-188308931X/plp
- ‘Monochrome Rails’: https://www.blurb.com/b/8636079-monochrome-rails
2022 Santa Claus Special Article in ‘Trains’ Magazine
https://www.trains.com/trn/magazine/archive-access/trains-april-2023/
Norfolk Southern Article in ‘Railroads Illustrated’
Ron penned the lead article on the 40th anniversary of Norfolk Southern for the 2022 edition of Railroads Illustrated Annual.
https://railroadsillustrated.com/current-issue/
Virginia is for (Railroad) Lovers in ‘Trains’ Magazine
Clinchfield Railroad Article
http://www.lnrr.org/pdf/articles/Flanary-Clinchfield%20Feature.pdf
Ron Flanary – First ‘Trains’ Magazine Byline
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.
3Cs Websites
Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org
