Clinchfield and the Family Lines System Railroad
- Home Page
- Flood Recovery: Clinchfield/CSX Reconstruction | Interactive Map
- History: Summary | Design | Surveys | Battles for the Rivers | Construction | Clinchfield Coal
- Predecessors: Summary | CRRR | 3Cs | OR&C | S&W | CC&O
- Leaders: George L. Carter | M.J. Caples | John B. Dennis | James A. Blair
- The Clinchfield: Maps | Mileposts | Stations | Connections | Branches/Spurs | Yards | Sidings | High Line | Bridges | Tunnels | Grades | Loops | Santa Train | Car #100 | Business Car #1
- Locomotives: Summary | Diesels | Steam | Challengers | No.1 | CRR 800 | CSX Heritage Unit
- Operations: Summary | Freight | Passenger | Timetables | Wrecks | Dispatcher’s Sheet
- Corporate Couplings: Summary | CC&O Lease | Family Lines | Seaboard System | CSX | 2015 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
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.
Clinchfield and the Family Lines System
2nd Step in Consolidation
The Family Lines System was a marketing cooperative of multiple railroads led by Seaboard Coast Line and the Louisville & Nashville. Even though these railroads and the Clinchfield had common ownership, they were operated independently most of the time.
As shippers needed seamless service across multiple railroads, especially with long distance freight, this step was important in creating better customer service.
The Family Lines existed between 1972 and 1982, and was a second step in consolidation in what would eventually become CSX. The third and next step would become the Seaboard System Railroad.
Family Lines System Map
Click here to see a map for the Family Lines.
Family Lines ‘Roster Shot’ by Ron Flanary
Every now and then, I trained my camera on a single locomotive for a “roster shot.” Such was the case on October 3, 1988 at the Corbin, Ky. locomotive shop. Seaboard System No. 8141 was originally an L&N unit–same number. It was built in September 1981, after CSX Corporation had been created, but before the SCL would be folded into Seaboard System (along with the L&N, Clinchfield, Georgia, etc.). The Family Lines paint scheme actually looked pretty good.
Photo and narrative by Ron Flanary
More Clinchfield information will be added to this page and website in the days ahead. Please let me know if you have any questions, see any edits that should be made, or have any content you are willing to share. Would enjoy hearing from you if you have similar interests in the Clinchfield, the region, or model railroading.
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.
3Cs Websites
Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org
