CSX Railroad Divisions and Subdivisions
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- 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
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- Destinations: Summary | Elkhorn City | Breaks | Dante | Speers Ferry | Kingsport | Johnson City | Erwin | Nolichucky Gorge | Spartanburg | and more
- Model Railroads: Summary
- Resources: Books | Scholars | Museums
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- Related Websites: Appalachian-Railroads.org | Southern-Railroads.org
Divisions and Subdivisions of CSX’s Clinchfield Line
Researched and Chronicled by Scott Jessee and Sandhi Kozsuch
From 1909 until 1983 the Clinchfield Railroad was a standalone railroad that was run as an independent operating entity with dedicated leadership, staff, infrastructure, financial accounting, and operating procedures. Even though the Clinchfield was leased for most of those years by the Atlantic Coast Line and Louisville & Nashville, it still operated independently.
It’s last day as the Clinchfield was on January 1, 1983, when it became the Clinchfield Division of the Seaboard System Railroad, which was owned by CSX Transportation.
With all of the CSX rail line mergers completed by 1987, the Seaboard System name had served its purpose and the new consolidated railroad company is simply known as ‘CSX.’
CSX Divisions and Subdivisions Timeline
Since 1983, CSX has made numerous changes in its operating division structure. Some changes were driven by business strategies and the marketplace. Others were driven by operating efficiency. Whatever the reason, the original Clinchfield line from Elkhorn City to Spartanburg has fallen under multiple CSX divisions.
From 1984 to 1987, the line was split between two different divisions, Florence and the Corbin. In 1987, the line was reunited back under one division, and has remained within a singular division since.
The following grid follows the Clinchfield line over the past 40 years within CSX, showing the changes in divisions and subdivisions.
| Date | Division | Sub Division | Notes |
| 1983 | Clinchfield Division of the Seaboard System | ||
| 1984 | Corbin Division | Kingsport Subdivision | Erwin to Elkhorn City |
| Florence Division | Blue Ridge Subdivision | Erwin to Spartanburg | |
| 1987 | Corbin Division | Kingsport Subdivision | Erwin to Elkhorn City |
| ” “ | Blue Ridge Subdivision | Erwin to Spartanburg | |
| 1994 | Blue Ridge Division | Kingsport Subdivision | Erwin to Elkhorn City |
| ” ” “ | Blue Ridge Subdivision | Erwin to Spartanburg | |
| 1997 | Appalachian Service Lane (see map below) | Kingsport Subdivision | Erwin to Elkhorn City |
| ” ” “ | Blue Ridge Subdivision | Erwin to Spartanburg | |
| 2000 | Appalachian Division | Kingsport Subdivision | Erwin to Elkhorn City |
| ” “ | Blue Ridge Subdivision | Erwin to Spartanburg | |
| 2004 | Huntington Division | Kingsport Subdivision | Erwin to Elkhorn City |
| ” “ | Blue Ridge Subdivision | Erwin to Spartanburg | |
| 2016 | Florence Division | Kingsport Subdivision | Erwin to Elkhorn City |
| ” “ | Blue Ridge Subdivision | Erwin to Spartanburg |
The CSX/Clinchfield Line Today
The original Clinchfield line is defined as two distinct subdivisions within CSX and its Florence Division, with the northern half as the Kingsport Subdivision, and the southern half as the Blue Ridge Subdivision. Even though Erwin is the dividing point, Kingsport has become more of an operational center and crew change point for both subdivisions.
Appalachian Service Lane Map
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
