Haysi Railroad
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- Related Websites: Appalachian-Railroads.org | Southern-Railroads.org
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.
Haysi Railroad – HRR
In 1970, the Haysi Railroad (HRR) was established on a seven-mile branch of the Clinchfield to service local coal mines. Operated by the Seaboard Coast Line and Louisville & Nashville railroads, the HRR was known for its unique motive power, including a repurposed B-unit locomotive. Although the Haysi Railroad was merged into the Seaboard System in 1983, the line continued operating until the last of the coal mines it served shut down in 2007.
Haysi Stats
- Reporting Mark: HRR
- Began Operation: 1970
- Length: 7.0 miles
- Also Know As: Greenbrier Branch of the Clinchfield Railroad
- Ownership: Seaboard Coast Line and Louisville & Nashville Railway
- Primary Cities: Haysi to Vicey VA
- Primary Freight: Coal
- Merged: With the Seaboard System Railroad in 1983
- Shut Down: In 2007. Since the line was not abandoned, tracks and remnants are still visible.
- Motive Power: Old Clinchfield F7 B Unit, retrofitted with radio controls. Additional motive power was added in 1977.
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:
- 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,’
- Young: ‘Appalachian Coal Mines and Railroads in Color.’ Volume 1: Kentucky, Volume 2: Virginia
- Magazines – ‘Trains‘ , ‘Classic Trains‘
- Newspaper Articles – Newspapers.com
- Online Articles:
- 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
Contact Us at Clinchfield.org
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.
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Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org
