This Clinchfield Railroad trestle is only King Bridge Company (Cleveland OH) unit I’ve found. Made in 1907. That’s the Clinch River it’s crossing (no, it’s not..see below. It could be Cove Creek, though). This deck girder is just off Hwy. 65 south of Ft. Blackmore in Scott County VA.
The Tennessean train was jointly operated by N&W and Southern with a 24-hour run between Washington DC and Memphis. It made regular trips from 1941 until 1968.
The lady who mailed this didn’t have a particularly good experience:
“Train 8 hrs late arriving at Memphis. Phoned (someone). They will meet me in (something). Coach without heat all night – nearly froze. No food on the train except potato chips and crackers. Thanks for lunch. Love Mother”
The Memphis postmark is incomplete, but has to be from the ’50s, when postcard postage was two cents (1952 – 1958).
Card was printed by E. C. Kropp of Milwaukee.
The L&N came into what was then known as Intermont in 1891. It formally became Appalachia in 1906. This Craftsman style train station was built around 1910. Notably, it has a slate roof.
The card was printed by The Tecraft Company in Tenafly NJ. That company registered The Tecraft Company as a trade name in 1946, when it was over 70 years old.
Judging by the quality of the photo and comparing it to other Tecraft cards on line, I would think this card dates to the early 20th century. It’s in fair to good condition with just two minor creases.
Note: back in 2012, I’d posted a picture of how the station looks now. As the comment below notes, it’s a wreck.
I didn’t track this too carefully, but it was noted as being in Marion NC around 1984. Makes sense, it’s now on some guy’s property about 8 miles south of Spruce Pine, beside an active CSX line at Sevier Crossroads. Looks to be in pretty good shape. It’s sited at 35 48 10.89N, 82 00 59.22W on Old Linville Road. Family Lines System only existed from 1972 to 1982 and this predates that, since it carries a Seaboard Coast Line ID number. It is, I think, an ACL (Atlantic Coast Lines) M-5. I could be wrong. When I was a kid, attracting chiggers on a mountain side in the foggy dawn light while by brother listened for squirrels, I looked over and saw what I thought was a cat and called to it. My brother: “Hush, Bobby, and, anyway, that’s skunk, not a cat. Now be quiet!”
This was at Norton Yard a few years ago. These guys really know how to bend steel!
This is the south portal of the tunnel that passes through a ridge south of Hazard Yard. The tunnel is about 450′ long.
The box truss trestle passes over the North Fork of the Kentucky River. Vandals (grrrr) have relieved the bridge of its maker/date plate. However, the bridge resembles others on this line that were made by Virginia Bridge and Iron Company in Roanoke in 1912.
In 1912 or so, the L&N was eager to get to the high-quality coal around Hazard KY. This tunnel, 1,300′ or so, was the access.
Hello, Hazard! This is on the north side of Hazard Yard, now plenty of tracks but not much traffic. In its day, though, it was a full-time yard. There was at least one turntable. The circular foundation is still visible. The next post is of the tunnel on the south side of the yard.
I took this picture back in 2009. The idea that looking a little closer and taken a few more pictures of something interesting hadn’t dawned on me.
This is, or was, in Hiltons VA. I think was once a trolley car. Just over to the left is where the railroad once came through Hiltons (the line from Bristol to Gate City). I dunno. We find artifacts like this all over the place.
Blogging the Railroad Tunnels 