Railroad Battles for the River Valleys

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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.

Railroad Battles for the Best Route: The Rivers

Researched and Chronicled by Scott Jessee and Sandhi Kozsuch

The creation of the Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio (CC&O), the railroad later known as the Clinchfield, was not a straightforward exercise in construction but a series of intense corporate battles. As with other historic railroads, having a river valley as a passage through the mountain ridges was key. Under the determined leadership of financier George L. Carter, the railroad fought for and won crucial rights-of-way against more powerful and established competitors. These conflicts, which took place in the rugged terrains of the Russell Fork River gorge, the bluffs of the Clinch River, and the Nolichucky River gorge, defined the railroad’s early history and cemented its hard-won route as an engineering marvel. During these several years of conflicts, 1902-1907, the CC&O was operating under the name of South & Western Railway (S&W) to disguise its intentions as to where the route would begin and end.

It is important to note that in 1905 Carter’s effort gained much greater financial strength with the addition of investment partner of Blair & Company, and much improved design and construction with the addition of MJ Caples as Chief Engineer and General Manager.

The Battle for the Breaks: CC&O (S&W) vs. C&O

The most famous of the Clinchfield’s right-of-way battles took place in the narrow, rugged gorge known as the Breaks of the Russell Fork River, often called the “Grand Canyon of the South”. In the early 1900s, the powerful Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O), already dominant in West Virginia’s coalfields, planned to expand its reach and saw the rich coal deposits of Southwest Virginia as a crucial resource. The C&O began surveying a route through the Breaks, a location so tight that only one railroad could ever occupy it.

Simultaneously, the upstart Ohio River & Charleston Railway (OR&C), a predecessor of the Clinchfield, was also eyeing a route through the same gorge. The stage was set for a confrontation. George L. Carter, a savvy and aggressive entrepreneur, took control of the OR&C, which he later renamed the South & Western (S&W) and ultimately the CC&O. When survey teams from both railroads encountered each other in the wilderness of the Breaks, the race for the right-of-way escalated into an all-out war.

The C&O’s challenge

Some sources say that the S&W owned land on both banks of the river. However, C&O was challenging their charter and lack of construction. Carter and the S&W, backed by the financier Blair and Company, were relentless. The struggle played out on two fronts: in the field, where construction crews raced to secure land, and in the courts, where both companies used legal and political leverage. The C&O attempted to use its considerable influence and legal muscle to block the S&W’s progress, but Carter fought back just as fiercely.

S&W Wins

Ultimately, the courts intervened to resolve the dispute. A 1905 decree sided with the S&W/Clinchfield, allowing Carter’s railroad to proceed with its construction. The agreement established Elkhorn City, Kentucky, as the connection point between the two railroads, with a pact that neither would build past that location. This victory in the “Battle for the Breaks” was a major triumph for the young Clinchfield, proving its determination and securing its vital link to the coalfields.

The Clinch River: CC&O (S&W) vs V&SE

Another strategic conflict arose along the bluffs of the Clinch River in Virginia, where the Virginia and Southeastern (V&SE) also sought a route to new coal fields. According to Virginia state records, the V&SE was backed by the Virginia & Southwestern (V&SW) Railway, both located in Bristol, TN/VA. The V&SE claimed a graded but unused right-of-way from the earlier, failed Charleston, Cincinnati & Chicago (3Cs) railroad, intending to connect with the V&SW to provide coal traffic from mines up the Clinch and Guest Rivers. This segment of the 3Cs roadbed ran from Clinchport VA to the mouth of the Guest River near Miller Yard.

V&SE Claim: S&W’s charter had expired

The S&W (soon to become the CC&O) actually owned the old 3Cs right-of-way, but the V&SE was claiming the S&W’s charter had expired. During these two years of contention with the V&SE, the S&W was still planning to use the 3Cs roadbed. However, later in 1905, Carter and his chief engineer, M. J. Caples, developed a bolder and more ambitious plan. They intended to build a superbly engineered, low-grade alignment with wider curves, blasted directly into the side of the towering Clinch River bluffs on opposite side of the river. This was a far more expensive and challenging option, but it would provide a much more efficient route for hauling heavy coal loads.

S&W Wins

The legal battle saw the two companies locked in court, with minimal construction taking place by the S&W. After the V&SE lost its court battles against the S&W in 1905, the V&SW purchased the V&SE charter for $70,000. The CC&O’s aggressive strategy had won out, allowing construction to move forward on Caples’s superior design. The 3Cs older grade was ultimately repurposed as Virginia Route 65, and the V&SW charter was absorbed into the Southern Railway in 1906. This victory demonstrated Carter’s uncompromising vision and the engineering superiority of the CC&O.

The Nolichucky River Gorge: CC&O (S&W) vs. Southern Railway

The Nolichucky River gorge, another spectacularly scenic and geographically challenging section of the route, also presented a significant hurdle. Here, the Clinchfield faced the powerful Southern Railway, which actively sought to block the CC&O’s progress.

Johnson City Southern

In 1905, the Southern Railway chartered the Johnson City Southern, who some historians consider a “paper railroad” designed to tie up the strategic right-of-way through the gorge. The Southern hoped to have the S&W’s roadbed and land rights condemned, since their construction had temporarily slowed during this time. At the minimum, the Southern intended to legally obstruct the S&W’s path, forcing a sale or an unfavorable compromise. However, in the press, they said they fully intended to build the line from Embreeville TN to Marion NC. The Johnson City Southern did manage to construct some roadbed from Embreeville, south to Erwin, and then several miles into the gorge. This resulted in an incredibly complex and combative situation.

Carter fights back, all the way to the North Carolina Supreme Court

However, Carter and the CC&O, not deterred by the larger railroad’s obstruction, fought back in the courts. In 1907, the North Carolina Supreme Court decided in Carter’s favor, giving the CC&O the right to build in the Nolichucky River gorge without interference from the Southern Railway. Engineers had agreed that building two separate railroads in the narrow gorge would be extremely difficult, if not impossible. The CC&O’s chief engineer, Caples, simultaneously had planned a superior route that bypassed the inferior grades of the old 3Cs line. The CC&O’s combination of legal savvy and superior engineering ultimately prevailed. The Southern, faced with the high cost and difficulty of building a competing line through the gorge, was forced to yield. This victory allowed the CC&O to proceed, ensuring the quality of its route through the Nolichucky gorge.

CC&O’s eventual route

It should be noted that the CC&O soon changed its mind, and did not build the superior route at a much higher cost as it had planned. Instead, the CC&O decided to upgrade the original 3Cs route, reducing tight curves and the the higher grades on some segments. There are no documents to show the reason for the change to the high grade/lower cost option, but one possibility was the financial Panic of 1907. Even today, there are some points around Poplar, North Carolina, multiple railroad grades can still be seen: CSX on the north bank (3Cs and CRR), grading for the Johnson City Southern on the south bank, and grading for the proposed superior grade route of the CC&O on the south bank.

Carter Wins 3 out of 3

The history of the Clinchfield Railroad is a dramatic saga of ambition, engineering, and fierce corporate combat. The right-of-way battles along the Russell Fork, Clinch, and Nolichucky rivers were pivotal moments, each demonstrating the company’s character. The confrontations with the C&O and Southern Railway highlight Carter’s willingness to challenge industrial titans, while the victories over the C&O and Southern, and the strategic path against the V&SE, underscore the company’s commitment to superior engineering. These struggles transformed the idea of a trade route through the Appalachian Mountains into one of the most remarkable and profitable railroads of its time, a legacy built not just with steel and stone, but with strategy and unyielding resolve.

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