Brush Creek Tunnel on the Clinchfield Railroad

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Clinchfield Railroad’s Brush Creek Tunnel

Brush Creek Tunnel - Clinchfield Railroad

Brush Creek Tunnel on the Clinchfield/CSX holds several distinctions. It’s the first tunnel south of Erwin, some 50 miles from the next tunnel to the north at Indian Ridge. And most importantly, it’s the first tunnel built after the final completion of the Carolina Clinchfield and Ohio Railway (CC&O), alleviating a challenging curve. By using the old Ohio River & Charleston Railway alignment along the Nolichucky/Toe River, the CC&O inherited several very tight curves that eventually had to be addressed. Mike Hopson, a retired 39-year veteran engineer for CSX/Clinchfield provides us with the history of the tunnel.

Brush Creek Tunnel Stats

  • Coordinates: 36.00598, -82.23743
  • Milepost: 163.1
  • Length: 304′
  • Year built: 1918-1920

Brush Creek Tunnel History

Narrative by Mike Hopson, Photos by Thomas Pittman

On the outside of the tunnel, there is an abandoned cut that used to be the original OR&C alignment there at Brush Creek. The curve at that location was very sharp and derailments were common on the original alignment. Brush Creek tunnel was built in 1918-1920 to lessen the degree of curvature there. After the tunnel was constructed, the old cut was used as a spur track that served a mica and feldspar mine that was located across the river. A cable car transfer was used to haul the feldspar across the river to the load out. The switch to the spur was located at the south end of the existing tunnel. If you know where to look, the old cable car pulley can still be seen and is still in place on the west wall of the old cut.

In 1974, a major derailment occurred inside the tunnel. Former CRR general manager T.D. Moore considered re-opening the old cut with a temporary main line in order to run trains while the derailment inside the tunnel was cleared. Track forces actually started the temporary track in the old cut, but the derailment was cleared before it was completed. After the tunnel was cleared, the part of the temporary track that was completed layed there a few months before it was finally taken up about a year later. I grew up near here and used to hike to the tunnel when I was younger and remember seeing the “shoo-fly” rail laying there in the old cut.

Brush Creek Tunnel - Clinchfield Railroad - CSX

Two other curves were modified the same year Brush Creek tunnel was built. The north end of Kona and at Booneford were modified with deep cuts into the hillside in order to lessen the degree of track curvature. The old OR&C alignment can still be seen at these locations as well. There are still steam locomotive cinders laying in the old cut at the north end of Kona. It’s a nice little hike to check it out during warm weather.

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