Train tunnels, tracks, and miscellaneous stuff

A general catalog of pictures of tunnels and train-related items in Southwest Virginia, Kentucky and East Tennessee. The main focus is on the original Clinchfield line from Elkhorn City KY to the Tennessee/North Carolina state line, but we’ve got our eyes on that remarkable 6-tunnel looped line near Little Switzerland NC.

#5 Hills Mills Tunnel

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Built into the remnants of an ancient sea floor, this is Hills Mills Tunnel in Dickenson County.  It’s 448′ long and was faced up in 1920.  However, as you can see, the years haven’t been kind to the right side of the facing.  Note the old power line draped over the portal.  Most all these tunnels once had working lights in them, probably for work crews.  We’re now 9.05 miles from Elkhorn City, moving south.  Next up, Russell Tunnel.

#4 Skaggs Hole tunnel

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Here we are at Skaggs Hole (or just Skaggs or Skeggs) Tunnel, all 519′ of it.  This one’s near Bartlick in Dickenson County. It was faced up in 1931. It’s centered at 37.256862, -82.327199.   A trestle comes into the tunnel over the Russell Fork River…we’re about 7 miles, trackwise, from Elkhorn City. It was a long side road drive to get access to this one.  We’d parked our car and were standing at the track kind of looking down the line when a motorcycle came up.  Lee flagged the guy down and asked him about the tunnel.  The guy knew where the tunnel was and gave us great directions.  He worked in Kingsport, it turned out, but he lived in Bartlick, with his new bride.  Nice guy.

The other portal of Skaggs Tunnel.  Stand here, turn around, and you’ll be looking down the track as the old Clinchfield rolled south.  We’ll be rolling south, also, as we head on down to Hills Mills and Russell Tunnels.  Did I mention how cool, temperature-wise, these tunnels are on a hot day?  And they’re bloody freezing in winter…literally freezing.  And Skaggs Hole, by the way, is a feature in the river near the tunnel’s Elkhorn City portal.

#2 Stateline

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This is the Elkhorn City portal of the Stateline Tunnel, which crosses under the Kentucky-Virginia State Line at The Breaks Interstate Park.  It’s 1,523 feet long and that’s a locomotive light there in the tunnel.  It was a pusher locomotive for a train that had just passed by.
State Line Tunnel

Here’s the surprise.  A little over halfway through the tunnel, we found this: a side portal opening out into The Breaks.  The picture doesn’t show it, but it has a definite cut shape. I’ve read that it was opened as the result of a rock fault.
State Line Tunnel Side Portal

#1 Pool Point Tunnel in and out

Bob Lawrence4 Comments

This is the first tunnel from Elkhorn City.  It’s near the entrance to The Breaks Interstate Park.  This is Pool Point Tunnel, 642′ long. It’s just a short hike down from State Route 80 out of Elkhorn City.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here is the trestle over the Russell Fork River at the other end of the Pool Point Tunnel.  The river forms a pool just about 50′ (or so) below this trestle.  It’s really pretty here.  Going across this trestle and on down the track for about a mile we’ll hit State Line Tunnel… and find a surprise.