Black Mountain Railway
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Black Mountain Railway
Black Mountain Stats
- Reporting Mark: BMRR
- Chartered: 1910
- Began Operation: 1911
- Length: 12.83 miles after 1930, approximately 30 miles during the 1920s.
- Headquarters: Burnsville NC, Erwin TN (Clinchfield Railroad was its corporate parent for many years)
- Primary Cities: Kona, Micaville, Burnsville, Bowditch, and Pensacola NC
- Primary Freight: Timber, minerals, building materials, agricultural products
- Passenger Service: 1914-1927
- Reorganized in 1955 – It was sold and its name was changed to the Yancey Railroad
Black Mountain Railway History
As soon as the Carolina Clinchfield & Ohio was under-construction and initially operated, so to was the Black Mountain Railway. In the first five decades of its life, it was known as the Black Mountain Railway. In 1955, it was reorganized and renamed the Yancey Railway.
Initially the railroad used a shay and two 4-6-0s and a 4-4-0 to traverse the steep grades and tight turns.
(More information will be added in the months ahead)
Black Mountain Railway Map
This Google Interactive Map shows three segments of the Black Mountain Railway.
- Mainline from Kona to Burnsville NC
- Branch from Micaville to Bowditch NC
- Spur from Burnsville to Eskota and Pensacola NC (Abandoned 1928)
- George’s Creek Spur built by Tennessee Eastman Company for timber (Abandoned 1920s)
- Cane Branch Spur to a feldspar crusher (Abandoned 1920s)
Please click on this link for the Interactive Map. You will be able to see the legend and then Zoom in, out, and move around, showing the location of the roadbed.
Black Mountain Railway Timeline
- 1903: South & Western Railway starts construction through Kona to Spruce Pine NC
- 1908: South & Western Railway renamed Carolina Clinchfield & Ohio Railway (CC&O)
- 1910: Black Mountain Railway chartered
- 1911: Operation began from Kona to Bowditch
- 1913: Railroad reaches Burnsville and Pensacola: 1913
- 1926-1928: Eskota and Pensacola sections abandoned
- 1951: Black Mountain files with ICC to abandon the entire line
- 1955: Yancey Railroad is incorporated, Black Mountain ceases operating the line
The Black Mountain Railway, John E. Beach, 2016
I highly recommend John Beach’s excellent book on the railroad. It is almost 200 pages of comprehensive details and pictures that follow the BMRR through its many years, and many phases of operations.
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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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