Robert L. Harvey

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Clinchfield Railroad
CSX Blue RIdge Subdivision

The CSX Blue Ridge Subdivision, the old Clinchfield line south of Erwin is now reopen after the extensive damage from Hurricane Helene. The first revenue freight train ran on September 21st, and two coal trains followed on September 25th. Ribbon cutting photo by Mark Loewe. . Use this link to see Designs in Orbit’s exceptional video updates with drone footage. Also, Train Chaser Elliot provides wonderful coverage.  Click here to read about the monumental CSX rebuilding efforts on Clinchfield.org. In the weeks ahead we will add much more content chronicling the events of the past year.

Robert (Bob) Harvey

Robert L. Harvey

Amongst the Clinchfield Railroad Scholars & Authors, Robert L. Harvey personifies the standing and respect as our ‘Sage,’…….. steeped in knowledge , wisdom, and experience. Bob, for many years, has been the go-to-person for many historians and railfans when it comes to a question about the many East Tennessee or Southwest Virginia Railroads.

When one sits and talks with Bob, you come away thinking about his depth of knowledge and brilliance, but also his gentle, kind, and inquisitive nature.

Bob is fortunate to have grown up about 50-feet from a branch line of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, and then live most of his life in Kingsport TN nearby the Clinchfield and the Southern. He grew up in West Virginia in coal country, but he was born in Roanoke VA, a fitting place of birth for his interest in the N&W.

While knowing much about the history and operation of the Clinchfield Railroad, he has a special affinity for the Norfolk & Western, possibly due to his Grandfather working for that railroad as a station agent. Watching the coal trains has always been a fascination.

Bob says, “In my late teens I put in time around the local railroad block offices and began picking up copies of train orders that became a modest-sized collection. Much later I began buying bound volumes of railroad trade journals and other engineering-related magazines.” Bob’s first piece of railroad hardware was a caboose marker light that fell off a train in front of his house.

(Photo: Bob and Scott Jessee in 2023)

Scott Jessee and Robert L. Harvey

Robert L. Harvey at Tennessee Eastman Company

A degree from Virginia Polytechnic University (VPI) prepared Bob for a long and successful career at Tennessee Eastman Company as a Project and Mechanical Engineer. Looking back, Bob says “I spent much of my career as a Project Engineer on chemical-based jobs, largely involved with process improvement, but with occasional assignments that required supervision of the engineering plans from the ground up.”

In addition to VPI and Tennessee Eastman, Bob served in the Navy during the Korean War. For a short time prior to enlisting in the Navy, he also served as a Management Trainee for the Island Creek Coal Company.

Bob has written accounts of railroad-related happenings for several railfan magazines, based on his personal knowledge and research. One of his favorite research memories was when he and his wife looked through a collection of railroad route location maps in an obscure warehouse in Charleston, West Virginia.

After Bob’s retirement from Tennessee Eastman, he joined a group of outdoor enthusiasts. On most Fridays they walked on forest trails nearby his home in Kingsport.

And as he has throughout his life, the railroads of the region continue to be of key interest to Bob. He has graciously shared that knowledge with many.

Robert L. Harvey

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.

Clinchfield Railroad

Contact Us at Clinchfield.org

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