Norfolk Southern Railroad (Railway): Clinchfield Connections
- Home Page
- History: Summary | Design | Surveys | Railroad Battles | Construction | Clinchfield Coal
- Predecessors: Summary | CRRR | 3Cs | OR&C | S&W | CC&O
- Leaders: George L. Carter | M.J. Caples | John B. Dennis
- Floods: Floods and Clinchfield/CSX Reconstruction
- The Clinchfield: Maps | Mileposts | Stations | Connections | Branches/Spurs | Yards | Sidings | High Line | Bridges | Tunnels | Grades | Loops | Santa Train
- Locomotives: Summary | Diesels | Steam | Challengers | No.1 | CRR 800 | CSX Heritage Unit
- Operations: Summary | Freight | Passenger | Timetables | Wrecks | Dispatcher’s Sheet
- Corporate Couplings: Summary | Family Lines | Seaboard System | CSX | Closure/Reopening
- CSX/CRR Today: Summary | CSX Kingsport Sub | CSX Blue Ridge Sub
- Railfanning: Summary | Restaurant Guide
- Destinations: Summary | Elkhorn City | Breaks | Dante | Speers Ferry | Kingsport | Johnson City | Erwin | Nolichucky Gorge | Spartanburg | and more
- Model Railroads: Summary
- Resources: Books | Scholars | Museums
- Clinchfield.org: Editor | Site Map
- Related Websites: Appalachian-Railroads.org | Southern-Railroads.org
Norfolk Southern Railway: Clinchfield Connections
The Norfolk Southern Railway and the Clinchfield Railroad connected at Miller Yard VA, Frisco Jct TN, Johnson City TN, Marion NC, and Spartanburg SC.
- Miller Yard – Initially was the Interstate Railroad, which was purchased by the Southern in 1960. This was in important coal and manifest delivery point for the Clinchfield. Besides the Norfolk Southern, L&N interchanged freight with the Clinchfield at Miller Yard.
- Frisco TN – A busy junction for many years that was a gateway to a very important trackage rights agreement between Norfolk Southern and CSX. Click here for more information on Frisco JCT.
- Johnson City TN – In the center of town, the Clinchfield interchanged with the Norfolk Southern line that ran between Knoxville TN and Roanoke VA.
- Marion NC – The Norfolk Southern’s line from Salisbury NC to Asheville NC interchanged with the Clinchfield.
- Spartanburg SC – The original interchange for the two railroads where the Clinchfield would deliver hundreds of cars per day. It was the southern termination point for the Clinchfield. Click here for more information on the Spartanburg Connection and Tunnel.
More content will be added about the Norfolk Southern and the Clinchfield in the days ahead.
Norfolk Southern Stats
- Reporting Mark: NS
- Operated: 1982 – Present
- Successors: Norfolk & Western Railway, Southern Railway
- Length: 19,335 miles
- Mainline: Washington DC to New Orleans LA, Chicago IL to Atlanta/Jacksonville, New York to Chicago/St. Louis/Kansas City/Memphis, Norfolk to Cincinnati OH
- Primary Cities: New York City NY, Norfolk VA, Roanoke VA, Atlanta GA, Cincinnati OH, Columbus OH, Detroit MI, Buffalo NY, Pittsburgh PA, Cleveland OH, Toledo OH, Chicago IL, St Louis MO, Kansas City MO, Memphis TN, New Orleans LA, Jacksonville FL,
- Headquarters: Atlanta GA
- Connections with the Clinchfield: St. Paul VA, Miller Yard, Frisco Junction, Kingsport TN, Johnson City TN, Marion NC, Spartanburg SC
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: Carolina Clinchfield Chapter National Railway Historical Society, Louisville & Nashville Railroad Historical Society, George L. Carter Railroad Historical Society, Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society
- 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,’ and Young: ‘Appalachian Coal Mines and Railroads in Color.’ Volume 1: Kentucky, Volume 2: Virginia
- Magazines – ‘Trains‘ , ‘Classic Trains‘
- Newspaper Articles – Newspapers.com
- Online Article – 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.
3Cs Websites
Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org
