CC&O’s Tank Yard, Dumps Creek Line, and Elkhorn Extension

Editor’s Note: From 1905 to 1912, the Carolina Clinchfield & Ohio surveyed and debated various routes into and across the 300,000 acres of coal land owned by George L. Carter and Blair & Company. Potential routes northward served two purposes, to tap their vast coal holdings, but to also extend the rail line to a Kentucky connection with the C&O Railway. Scott Jessee takes us back in time, providing a comprehensive view of a second surveyed CC&O route across the mountains, and the grand plan for a mammoth yard that was never built.

Dante vs. Tank, Lick Creek vs. Dumps Creek

Researched and Chronicled by Scott Jessee

Elkhorn City, Dante, Kingsport, Johnson City, Erwin, Bostic, and Spartanburg were the mainstays of the Clinchfield Railroad’s yard network. As far as the Clinchfield mainline and coal origination, Lick Creek and Dante were key. But, was Lick Creek and Sandy Ridge Tunnel the only mainline route to be considered by the CC&O Railway as it traveled northward? Was Dante the only yard surveyed and planned in the coalfields?

While sorting through maps at the L&N Historical Society, I discovered a drawing from July 1909 of Tank Yard, VA. I had never heard of Tank, so this article aims to provide background information on what ‘could have been’ Clinchfield’s alternate mainline route and its largest yard by a factor of 3.

1887 to 1905: CC&O Predecessors

The predecessors of the Clinchfield Railroad all had ambitions of connecting with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway in Elkhorn City, KY, or to make it all the way to the Ohio River. Even before George L. Carter arrived on the scene, the predecessors of the Carolina, Clinchfield, and Ohio Railway all had ambitions for great coal wealth and for a connection northward across the mountains.

• Charleston, Cincinnati, and Chicago’s Chief Engineer T. E. Matson reported in October 1887 that work would commence in the Breaks of the Cumberland, under the leadership of Captain H. W. Lumsden. (Johnson City Comet newspaper)
• The Ohio River and Charleston’s W-1014 map indicated its location in Towers, VA passing through lands owned by K. S. Colley and the Russell Fork Coal & Lumber Company. This map can be found in the Archives of Appalachia at East Tennessee State University.
• The South & Western Railway had a “Battle of the Breaks” with the C&O, which was documented in a Trains April 1947 article titled “Survey of a New Route.” In 1902 George L. Carter acquired the Ohio River and Charleston and renamed it the South and Western. Mr. Carter and his group decided they needed a southern connection before the C&O’s northern link. Construction and improvements began and in 1908 another name change occurred as the S&W became the Carolina, Clinchfield, and Ohio. The southern connection was finalized when the line opened between Dante and Spartanburg, SC on October 31, 1909.

While the CC&O expanded southward, there was also activity on the north-end as a branch line was being built in Russell County, Virginia.

1906 Elkhorn Southern Railway – Dumps Creek Branch

On October 4, 1906, the Elkhorn Southern was incorporated and constructed a 5.71 mile main line from Kiser to Laurel, VA with two branch lines. This line was specifically built for Clinchfield Coal and was known as Dumps Creek. The CC&O obtained N&W trackage rights from Fink (St. Paul, VA) to Kiser (Carbo,VA) to access this area. Even though the Elkhorn Southern Railway was eventually purchased by the CC&O, it is believed that it was financed and controlled from the beginning by George L. Carter and his investor, Blair & Company.

1910 CC&O’s Dumps Creek Branch

Dumps Creek’s milestones in 1910 were as follows:

• Feb 22: Clinch River bridge at Kiser was completed, and engine 33 crossed it.
• Mar 22: Dumps Creek was ready for operations
• Mar 24: CC&O 40654 was first car of coal loaded
• June 23: An inspection train with Pres. Potter & GM Caples operated

Further information on Dumps Creek can be found in the March 2004 Jitterbug, the quarterly publication of the Carolina Clinchfield National Historical Society.

Surveys from the Clinch River into Kentucky

While the railroad’s initial focus was southward, officials also considered routes to the North. Between 1881 and 1907, the railroad recorded 42 routes through the Virginia counties of Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell, and Wise to reach Kentucky.

Interactive Map: CC&O surveys across the Clinchfield Coal Company land. Map Key: Black – Clinchfield Coal Boundary, Yellow: CC&O as built, Orange: CC&O potential routes surveyed, and Red: N&W. Click here to view on Google Maps, allowing you to zoom in and seethe routes in detail.

One survey by J. W. Moore outlined a 26.6 mile route from Kiser via Dumps Creek to Haysi at the mouth of McClure Creek. This line would be considered rugged mountain railroading with maximum curves of 12 degrees and a 2.5% compensated grade.

During a separate trek to the L&N Historical Society, I discovered a March 1909 drawing from Fink to Kiser. This projected line would have eliminated the need for N&W trackage rights.

The CC&O would have run parallel to the N&W from Fink for about 1.30 miles. At this point, the N&W crossed the Clinch River while the CC&O remained on the river’s north side to Kiser. The CC&O’s winding river route measured 11.5 miles compared to the N&W’s 8.1 miles.

The CC&O more than nominally considered its survey for a Kiser to Haysi to Elkhorn route (vs. Dante) as indicated by the size of Tank Yard. In 1909, Tank Yard’s capacity would have surpassed that of Dante, Kingsport, Johnson City, Erwin, Bostic, and Spartanburg combined.

The Plan for Tank Yard

Tank Yard Plans

Tank Yard’s capacity was estimated at 3,830 cars and 45 locomotives:

• 24 Stall Roundhouse
• 45 engines
• Outbound Loads: 16 tracks, 1450 cars
• Empties for mines: 4 tracks, 410 cars
• Empties for Chaney Fork: 4 tracks, 250 cars
• Repair Yard Loads 55 cars
• Repair Yard Empties: 45 cars
• L. C. L. Yard: 60 cars
• Station Track: 60 cars
• Inbound Loads: 24 tracks, 1500 cars

The following 1909 plans for Tank Yard are archived at the Louisville & Nashville Railroad Historical Society in Chattanooga TN. A duplicate plan is also in the CC&O/Clinchfield collections at the Archives of Appalachia in Johnson City TN.

So you can better see the details of the very wide map, we have split it into three segments, right to left, which would be south to north.

Tank Yard – Right

Tank Yard – Center

Tank Yard – Left

What traffic projections did the CC&O envision for this sprawling yard? The railroad’s arrival in southwest Virginia would have opened up vast opportunities for the coal rich area. Local communities relied on less than carload freight to supply general stores while other businesses would ship or receive cargoes of stone, lumber, farm supplies, and grains. Tank Yard’s LCL and station tracks would have easily handled this freight.

Reasoning Behind a 3800 Car Yard

In an effort to project traffic for Tank Yard, I utilized a 1920 CC&O coal report, agenerous C&O interchange, and coal that the CC&O may have taken out of Buchanan County from the N&W, and came up with the following:

Location Projected Coal Loads per working day (M-F)

• Dumps Creek to Haysi 90
• Trammel to Elkhorn main line 60
• Elkhorn City and C&O interchange 50
• Buchanan County Branches 150
• TOTAL 350

In 1920 coal development was in its infancy, but perhaps the CC&O officials were looking ahead to 1968?

I used N&W August 1968 data and estimated CRR coal loading based on historical records.

Location Coal Loaded

• N&W Buchanan County 13709
• N&W Tiller District (Dumps Creek) 11783
• Clinchfield Trammel to Elkhorn 8800
• TOTAL 34292

If we take the coal loads and double it with coal empties, then this monthly total would balloon to 68584 cars or 3429 a day. That figure is pretty close to Tank Yard’s 3830 car capacity. The above figures were assumed upon the Clinchfield getting 50 percent of the Buchanan County coalfields and retaining all of the loading at Dumps Creek.

Alternative CC&O Dumps Creek Routing and Potential Branches

A Kiser to Elkhorn main thoroughfare would have fundamentally changed the Clinchfield Railroad. The Clinchfield’s coal branches would have resembled the L&N’s Cumberland Valley or the C&O’s New River with branch lines built as needed to reach coal deposits. While speculating on the source of Tank Yard’s business, I also devised an alternate branch line operation to coincide with the Dumps Creek route.

Lick Creek Branch: This seven mile section of track would have retained a portion of the Lick Creek and Lake Erie’s namesake. This branch would have terminated at Dante as there was no need to penetrate Sandy Ridge. One or two mine runs would have switched the Clinchfield Coal Company’s Straight Hollow and Bear Wallow mines as well as any interchange runs at St. Paul.

Clinchfield & Western Branch: In 1917 A. J. Pearcy surveyed a 20 mile route from Guest River via Fullers Gap to a point known as Victor Dock on the Fremont Branch. The C&W was established as a subsidiary of the CC&O for this segment of track. This treacherous trek included 16 degree curves and a 2.5 percent grade. The Clinchfield & Western would have most assuredly taken coal business away from the N&W at Toms Creek. At Victor a wye track would have provided access to another branch line.

Cranesnest Branch: This branch would have mirrored the Fremont Branch with an exception. The Fremont Branch was 14.5 miles from Caney Junction to Moss. The Cranesnest Branch would have been about 12 miles as it would have dead ended at Crabtree, about 2.5 miles above Caney. Coming off the Clinchfield and Western at Victor, the wye would allow northbound trains to operate towards what we know as Moss. Southbound trains at Victor wye would operate nine miles to service the coal facilities on that segment.

Guest would have been expanded beyond the passing siding, albeit similar to Miller Yard. I initially speculated Guest would be a home base for mine runs and have lodging for Erwin crews to take rest. However I changed my mind due to the additional expense of maintaining facilities and engine terminals. Instead, Dante would serve as the mine run base, engine terminal, and lodging for Erwin crews. Mine Runs would come south out of Dante with lite power, pick up coal empties at Guest, and work the C&W and Cranesnest mines as directed.

On their return to Guest, coal loads would be yarded and locomotives return to Dante. Extra Norths from Erwin to Dante would operate as needed to provide coal empties for these three branch lines. One crew a day would take a full train of empties to Dante while the other crews would have set empties off at Guest and ran lite to Dante. After taking rest at Dante, these crews would have moved coal loads out of Dante, St. Paul N&W interchange, Guest Yard, and Speers Ferry Southern interchange.

Also of note the Clinchfield & Western Railway would have been an important link during the 1923 ACL/L&N lease of the CC&O.

Prater Creek Branch: If the Dumps Creek route would have been chosen as the route to Elkhorn City, it is most likely the CC&O would have invaded the Buchanan County coalfields and battled the N&W for coal business.

McClure River Branch: At Haysi a wye configuration would have allowed the main line to continue northward to Elkhorn City, while the south leg would have entered the McClure River Branch. This 22 mile branch would reach mining operations at Clinchco, Steinman, Fremont, Nora, Wakenva and dead ended at Trammel.

CC&O Dumps Creek Mainline Interactive Map

Click on the link below to see in detail the CC&O Dumps Creek mainline option and the potential branches this routing might have included.

Clinchfield Alternative Mainline Map via Dumps Creek

On the thumbnail map below, black in the Dumps Creek routing, yellow is the Lick Creek and McClure River Branches (current CSX/CRR mainline), blue is the Cranesnest Branch, and Orange is the

Alternative CC&O Operations

Mine run crews based at Tank would have switched the above branch lines along with Dumps Creek area mines. Extra Norths from Erwin to Tank would provide empties for these areas. After taking rest at Tank, the Erwin crews would return south with a full train to Erwin and avoid line of road work. Merchandise trains would have operated between Erwin and Elkhorn City via the Dumps Creek main line. Needless to say, the 2.5 percent grade on this route plus the same grade on the C&W would have presented expensive and nightmarish operations.

1912 Elkhorn Extension Decision: via Dante or Dumps Creek?

After the CC&O’s October 1909 completion to Spartanburg, it would be June 1912 before work started on the Elkhorn Extension. Here is a comparison between the chosen route and Dumps Creek route.

	Dante to Elkhorn	Kiser to Elkhorn
Miles to build	36 miles	38 miles
Miles to build Fink-Carbo	n/a	12 miles
Maximum Curvature	10 degree	12 degree
Maximum Grade North	1.8 percent	2.5 percent

1915 CC&O Elkhorn Extension Opens via Dante

In J. A. Goforth’s “Building the Clinchfield” on page 40 he reviewed several routes and stated: “The location as finally selected was the shortest, most direct and most costly in construction.”

Needless to say, Tank Yard never materialized. It was an interesting exercise to speculate on possible branch lines, schemes, and operations based on the potential for a mainline up Dumps Creek and its massive Tank Yard. Maybe there is a file out there on Tank Yard and the reasoning behind it; or perhaps that file ended up with thousands in the landfill during the paper documents purge at the railroad’s Erwin headquarters forty years ago.

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,’
  • 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

3Cs Websites

Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org