Right at Unaka Springs in Unicoi County, 140 miles south of Elkhorn City. Just behind me is the bridge over the Nolichucky River (36.09812, -82.44180).
140 Miles Down
Month: March 2026
Early Morning at Frisco Yard
Right on the border of Tennessee and Virginia at 36.353509, -82/375406. This is an N&S yard.
Skaggs Hole Tunnel Trestle
This is looking north out of the CSX Skaggs Hole Tunnel (37.256522, -82.327300). The trestle goes over the Russell Fork River. There’s a deep pool in the river off to the right about 30′ down.
Trestle Into Pounding Mill Tunnel
This is the trestle leading into the Pounding Mill Tunnel #1 in Tazewell VA (at 37.07660, -81.71674). Norfolk and Western (after 1980 Norfolk and Southern) ran this line through to the coal fields between 1887 and 1890. One abutment dates to 1930 and the other to 1941, so a bit of work has been done on this trestle. I originally posted Pounding Mill Tunnel #1 on October 1, 2012, which was a view from the opposite side, complete with signage.
Coal Mine Tram
We saw this old mine tram from an abandoned family mine near Dwina VA.
The Other Sandy Ridge Tunnel
This is the other Clinchfield Sandy Ridge Tunnel, opened in 1958 and went out of service a few decades later. This is the south portal at 37.014059, -82.196190. The north portal is about 8,000′ away at 37.035718, -82.190781
The Twins
Looking north through these two short (this one is 308′, the yonder one is 236′) tunnels crossing a bend in the Clinch River (36.709679N, 82.646909W) in Scott County VA. As I’ve mentioned before, the date there is when this tunnel was faced up. The line blasted through in the early 1900s. About a mile up the track, at Starnes Bend, is Starnes Tunnel. If you backtrack for about seven miles, you’ll hit the Clinchport Tunnel in the Town of Clinchport.
Unfaced Tunnel
This is an old tunnel (36.715900 N , 83.671831 W) on an unused line between Pineville and Middlesboro KY. This is the unfaced south portal. The tunnel is a little over 600′ in length. The north portal was faced up in 1944, but this shows how the road gang blew through the stone. I think this tunnel was opened in the early 1900s by the L&N.
Devon Tunnel
I’ve posted this before, but I’ve got a bit more information. This is looking out of the north portal of the Devon Tunnel (37.52763N, 82.04658W). It’s in Virginia, but that’s West Virginia your seeing, across the Tug Fork River. This is an old line. It began as a narrow gauge road for Shay engines.
Blogging the Railroad Tunnels 