Calvin Sneed
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- Leaders: George L. Carter | M.J. Caples | John B. Dennis
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- Destinations: Summary | Elkhorn City | Breaks | Dante | Speers Ferry | Kingsport | Johnson City | Erwin | Nolichucky Gorge | Spartanburg | and more
- Model Railroads: Summary
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- Related Websites: Appalachian-Railroads.org | Southern-Railroads.org
Calvin Sneed
Calvin’s Avocation
What began as a childhood hobby has now become an adult obsession, allowing Calvin to cross paths with railroads, in the form of bridges and tunnels. So far, he has visited and photographed more than 1,100 bridges from Indiana and Ohio to Florida, from Virginia to Louisiana, from Missouri to South Carolina and all points in between. His inventory includes more than 33,000 pictures of them, from panoramas to close-up’s, from profiles to landscapes of these relics of Americana past.
Calvin’s Motto
Many more bridges are on his bucket “to do” list. Weeds cannot hide them, highways cannot bypass them. Governments cannot isolate them fast enough. No bridge is immune from a photographic visit from Calvin. His motto is simple: “so many bridges… so little time.” You can follow Calvin’s bridge and tunnel pursuits at www.ilovebridgesandtunnels.com
Calvin Sneed Books
Calvin is the author of two coffee-table photography books spotlighting spectacular truss and arch bridges around the Southeast, in addition to several booklets that specifically zero in on bridges from a certain area. He is frequently the guest speaker at special events, civic club meetings, historical societies, book clubs and high school-college classes, focusing on the elegant architecture that make these bridges special.
Calvin’s Vocation
Calvin is also an award-winning television newscaster, who, except for a five-year period in Ohio, has spent more than 50 years broadcasting at TV stations in East Tennessee, from Tri-Cities to Knoxville to Chattanooga. Now retired, he spends most of his time indulging in his passion… photographing old steel truss bridges and their nearest cousins, concrete arch bridges.
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.
- Associations: Carolina Clinchfield Chapter National Railway Historical Society, Louisville & Nashville Railroad Historical Society, George L. Carter Railroad Historical Society, Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society
- Personal maps, timetables, track charts, and memorabilia
- Archives of Appalachia – ETSU, Johnson City TN
- Books – Beach: ‘The Black Mountain Railway,’ Drury: ‘The Historical Guide to North American Railroads’, Goforth: ‘Building the Clinchfield’ and ‘When Steam Ran the Clinchfield’, Graybeal: ‘The Railroads of Johnson City’, Helm: ‘The Clinchfield Railroad in the Coal Fields’, Irwin & Stahl: ‘The Last Empire Builder: The Life of George L. Carter’, King: ‘Clinchfield Country’, Marsh: ‘Clinchfield in Color’, Poole: ‘A History of Railroading in Western North Carolina’, Poteat & Taylor: ‘The CSX Clinchfield Route in the 21st Century’, Stevens & Peoples: ‘The Clinchfield No. 1 – Tennessee’s Legendary Steam Engine’, Way: ‘The Clinchfield Railroad, the Story of a Trade Route Across the Blue Ridge Mountains’, Wolfe: ‘Norfolk & Western’s Clinch Valley Line‘ and ‘Southern Railway Appalachia Division,’ and Young: ‘Appalachian Coal Mines and Railroads in Color.’ Volume 1: Kentucky, Volume 2: Virginia
- Magazines – ‘Trains‘ , ‘Classic Trains‘
- Newspaper Articles – Newspapers.com
- Online Article – Scientific American: ‘The Costliest Railroad in America‘, Classic Trains: ‘Remembering the Clinchfield Railroad‘, Railway Age: ‘This Coal Road Is Also A Speedy Bridge Line,’ Sept 1, 1952 edition, ‘Railway Signaling and Communications‘, Flanary: ‘The Quick Service Route, The Clinchfield Railroad‘, Flanary: ‘Men Against Mountains, Running Trains on the Clinchfield‘ October 2001
- Online Videos – Ken Marsh on Kingsport area railroads and region’s history Video #1, Ken Marsh on railroads and region’s history Video #2:
- Websites – Carolana.com – North Carolina Railroads, South Carolina Railroads, Johnson’s Depot hosted by StateOfFranklin.net, RailFanGuides.us for Johnson City and for Erwin, The Radio Reference Wiki, SteamLocomotive.com, VirginiaPlaces.org – Railroad History of Virginia, Multimodalways.org
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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
