Mergers of the Clinchfield Railroad
- 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
Clinchfield Railroad Mergers
For almost 79 years (1924 to 1983), the Clinchfield Railroad transitioned from a singular 277 mile route spanning Elkhorn City KY to Spartanburg SC…..to a separate operating unit leased by two larger railroads…..to eventually becoming an integral part of the CSX system.
Family Lines (1972 to 1982)
The Family Lines was a marketing unit for several railroads led by the Seaboard Coast Line and the Louisville & Nashville. The Clinchfield did not legally merge, but by looking at its marketing materials and engines/cabooses, Clinchfield appeared as the Family Lines.
Seaboard System (1983 to 1986)
The Seaboard System was a further alignment into one entity, both corporately and in day-to-day operations. Clinchfield officially merged in January 1983, ending its run as the Clinchfield and as an independent railroad.
CSX Transportation (1986 to present day)
And finally, CSX was the resulting singular railroad made up of the Clinchfield and many other railroads in the Eastern U.S.
Clinchfield Timeline
- 1902: South & Western Railway (S&W) was incorporated (temporary name to keep eventual routing under wraps
- 1908: S&W name was changed to Carolina Clinchfield & Ohio Railroad
- 1909: CC&O was completed from Dante VA to Spartanburg SC
- 1915: CC&O was completed from Elkhorn City KY to Spartanburg SC
- 1924: The Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) and the Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N) jointly leased the CC&O for 999 years. It’s Erwin TN headquarters and management remained separate. The new operating unit changed its name to Clinchfield Railroad, CRR.
- 1967: ACL and Seaboard Air Line (SAL) merged, creating the Seaboard Coast Line (SCL)
- 1971: SCL gained full control of the L&N
- 1972: The Family Lines was created as a marketing umbrella, where the SCL, L&N, Clinchfield, and other related railroads worked together both in rail services and in marketing.
- 1980: The SCL and Chessie System (C&O, B&O, WM) merged creating CSX Transportation. This began a multi-year process of slowly merging the operations of all the SCL and Chessie railroads into one.
- 1982: The SCL and L&N were merged to become the Seaboard System Railroad
- 1983: The Clinchfield was merged into the Seaboard System. After 79 years, this was the last year of Clinchfield’s separate corporate identity. (1902-1983)
- 1986: All mergers of different operating units were complete. The CSX Corporation was officially born, one railroad, one corporate entity.
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
