Battle of the Breaks
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- Related Websites: Appalachian-Railroads.org | Southern-Railroads.org
Battle for the Big Sandy River Breaks
Between 1898 and 1902, surveys were completed by both the Ohio River & Charleston Railway/South & Western Railway and the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway on a proposed railroad between Elkhorn City and Dante VA. This rail line traversed the ‘Breaks of the Big Sandy River’, a very narrow and treacherous gorge with room for only one railroad. The Breaks is often called the ‘Grand Canyon of the South.’
Battle of the Breaks – Start and End
At one point, the survey teams ran into each other in the wilderness of the Breaks, setting off a race between the two railroads as to who could secure the land and build the rail line. Hasty final surveys and efforts at construction ensued. Also during this period of time the OR&C was sold to George L. Carter and the S&W. And as was typical for Carter, he quickly engaged in the fight, both in the field and in the courts.
S&W/Clinchfield Wins
Eventually the courts decided that the S&W/Clinchfield was the victor. The 1905 decree allowed the Carter and the S&W to proceed with surveying and construction. The decree also set Elkhorn City as the connection point for the two railroads, and they both agreed not to build past that point.
Clinchfield.org Sources and Resources
- Personal Maps & Memorabilia – Documents, maps and track charts that I have from the CRR, CC&O, and S&W
- Archives of Appalachia
- Book – Drury: The Historical Guide to North American Railroads
- Book – Goforth: ‘Building the Clinchfield’
- Book – Goforth: ‘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’
- Article – Flanary: ‘The Quick Service Route, The Clinchfield Railroad‘
- Article – Flanary: ‘Men Against Mountains, Running Trains on the Clinchfield‘ October 2001
- Video – Ken Marsh on Kingsport area railroads and region’s history Video #1
- Video – Ken Marsh on railroads and region’s history Video #2:
- Articles – ‘Johnson City Comet‘
- Article – Scientific American: ‘The Costliest Railroad in America‘
- Article – Classic Trains: ‘Remembering the Clinchfield Railroad‘
- Article – Railway Age: ‘This Coal Road Is Also A Speedy Bridge Line,’ Sept 1, 1952 edition
- Article – ‘Railway Signaling and Communications‘
- Website – Carolana.com – North Carolina Railroads, South Carolina Railroads
- Website – StateOfFranklin.net which hosts Johnson’s Depot
- Website – RailFanGuides.us for Johnson City and for Erwin
- Website – The Radio Reference Wiki
- Website – SteamLocomotive.com
- Website – Clinchfield Railroad 1982 Track Chart at Multimodayways.org
- Website – Newspapers.com
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3Cs Websites
Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org