Piedmont & Northern Railway

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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.

Piedmont & Northern Railway

Piedmont & Northern Railway

The Piedmont & Northern (P&N) Railway was an electric interurban railroad that operated in separate divisions in North and South Carolina. Built to steam railroad standards, the P&N was known for its freight traffic as well as passenger service. Developed under James “Buck” Duke, the P&N survived the Great Depression and merged into the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in 1969. It is considered one of the notable interurban systems in the U.S..

The Piedmont & Northern (P&N) Railway was intimately connected to the Carolinas’ booming textile industry, providing crucial transportation services that fueled its growth. The railroad’s success was fundamentally tied to the economic development of the Piedmont region, which by the turn of the 20th century, was becoming a powerhouse for cotton textiles. The P&N helped sustain this growth by transporting raw cotton, finished textile products, and coal to power the mills, making it an integral part of the regional economy. 

Two Separate P&N Divisions

The P&N’s two separate divisions, one connecting Charlotte and Gastonia in North Carolina and the other linking Greenwood and Spartanburg in South Carolina, passed directly through the heart of the “mill country”. This geographic advantage allowed the P&N to serve a high concentration of textile mills directly. Many of these mills and their associated mill villages were established in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and their very existence was dependent on reliable transportation for both materials and goods. The P&N, with its robust infrastructure built to steam railroad standards, was well-equipped to handle this heavy freight. 

The symbiotic relationship between the P&N and the textile industry was a key factor in the railroad’s profitability, allowing it to survive economic downturns like the Great Depression. As textile manufacturing began to decline in the region in the mid-20th century, the P&N adapted, eventually transitioning from electric to diesel power and maintaining a strong freight business until its merger into the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in 1969.

Clinchfield Railroad Connection

At Spartanburg, South Carolina, the P&N had an important interchange with the Clinchfield Railroad. This connection, along with others, was vital for the Clinchfield, completing a corridor for freight traffic between the Southeast and the Midwest. Initially, the connection at Spartanburg was problematic due to the Southern Railway’s insistence that the CRR/P&N could not directly connect, thus having to use the Southern for a minimal few hundred feet for rail car transfer. Click here to read more about the bottleneck, and how the problem was solved.

Both P&N and CRR are now part of CSX.

Piedmont & Northern Stats

  • Reporting Mark: PN
  • Chartered: 1911
  • Years Operated: 1912-1969
  • Mainline: Two disjointed segments: Charlotte to Gastonia NC, Greenwood to Spartanburg SC
  • Length: 128 Miles
  • Corporate Offices: Charlotte NC
  • Primary Cities: Charlotte, Gastonia NC, Spartanburg, Greenville, Anderson, Greenwood SC
  • Gauge: 4′ 8.5″
  • Primary Freight: Coal and Cotton, General Merchandise
  • Passenger Service: Yes, ending in 1951
  • Predecessors: Piedmont Traction Company, Anderson Traction Company, and Greenville Spartanburg & Anderson Railway. All owned by James B. Duke.
  • Successor: Seaboard Coast Line
  • P&N Today: Part of CSX Transportation
  • Connection with the Clinchfield: 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.

Clinchfield Railroad

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