Tennessee Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Tennessee Railroad was a short line standard gauge
(4 ft 8in) common carrier
railroad running from Oneida, Tennessee
to Fork Mountain, Tennessee
. Reorganized in 1973 by the Southern Railway as the Tennessee Railway, it remains a subsidiary of the Norfolk Southern Corporation.
The story of the Tennessee Railroad is one of incredible endurance against the odds. Sold at foreclosure
on Valentine’s Day in 1918, the Tennessee Railway never was a financial powerhouse. In 1959, the first petition for abandonment was filed, but the coal business picked up and it was withdrawn. In 1973, with the railroad in receivership
, the line became part of the Southern Railway. In the years following, Southern upgraded the line with new ties and rail, daylighted
the tunnel near Oneida, and streamlined operations to make the line an important feeder for coal
traffic.
As environmental regulations became more strict and tremendous low-sulfur coal reserves were discovered in Wyoming
’s Powder River Basin
, coal mining operations in the area began to play out. By 2005, it appeared the Tennessee was again doomed when Southern Railway successor Norfolk Southern filed to abandon the line, but thanks to National Coal Corporation, the line was purchased with hopes that King Coal would once again ply these rails on the way to market. National Coal originally selected the Watco Companies
to manage and operate the line, but only one train ran in 2006. Since then the line has been inactive. In 2008, a company known as the New River Railway began operating passenger excursion trains over various parts of the line.
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
(4 ft 8in) common carrier
Common carrier
A common carrier in common-law countries is a person or company that transports goods or people for any person or company and that is responsible for any possible loss of the goods during transport...
railroad running from Oneida, Tennessee
Oneida, Tennessee
Oneida is a town in Scott County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 3,615 at the 2000 census.Oneida is known for its proximity to the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area...
to Fork Mountain, Tennessee
Fork Mountain, Tennessee
Fork Mountain, Tennessee is a former coal mining camp, located on Tennessee State Route 116 and the New River, at the Morgan County-Anderson County line. Petros is 4.2 miles to the south. Frozen Head State Park is nearby with the park boundary including part of the Morgan County portion of the...
. Reorganized in 1973 by the Southern Railway as the Tennessee Railway, it remains a subsidiary of the Norfolk Southern Corporation.
The story of the Tennessee Railroad is one of incredible endurance against the odds. Sold at foreclosure
Foreclosure
Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
on Valentine’s Day in 1918, the Tennessee Railway never was a financial powerhouse. In 1959, the first petition for abandonment was filed, but the coal business picked up and it was withdrawn. In 1973, with the railroad in receivership
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
, the line became part of the Southern Railway. In the years following, Southern upgraded the line with new ties and rail, daylighted
Daylighting (tunnels)
Daylighting a tunnel is to remove its "roof" or overlying rock and soil, thus exposing the railway or roadway to daylight. This could also be seen as converting the tunnel to a railway or roadway cut...
the tunnel near Oneida, and streamlined operations to make the line an important feeder for coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
traffic.
As environmental regulations became more strict and tremendous low-sulfur coal reserves were discovered in Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
’s Powder River Basin
Powder River Basin
The Powder River Basin is a geologic region in southeast Montana and northeast Wyoming, about east to west and north to south, known for its coal deposits. The region supplies about 40 percent of coal in the United States. It is both a topographic drainage and geologic structural basin...
, coal mining operations in the area began to play out. By 2005, it appeared the Tennessee was again doomed when Southern Railway successor Norfolk Southern filed to abandon the line, but thanks to National Coal Corporation, the line was purchased with hopes that King Coal would once again ply these rails on the way to market. National Coal originally selected the Watco Companies
Watco Companies
Watco Companies, Inc. is a Pittsburg, Kansas-based transportation company that was formed in 1983 by Charles R. Webb. Watco is composed of three divisions: transportation, mechanical and transloading. WCI is the owner of Watco Transportation Services, Inc...
to manage and operate the line, but only one train ran in 2006. Since then the line has been inactive. In 2008, a company known as the New River Railway began operating passenger excursion trains over various parts of the line.