Website Editor
- Home Page
- Appalachian Railroads: AT&O | B&O | BR | C&O | Chessie | CNO&TP | CRR | LC&C | L&N | NC&StL | N&C | N&W | OR&C | SOU | VGN
- Charleston Cincinnati & Chicago Railroad: History | Locos | Maps | John T. Wilder | Railfan Guide
- ET&WNC: History | Maps | Locomotives | Timetables | A. Pardee | G. Hardin | T. Matson
- Appalachian Railroad Cities: Asheville | Cincinnati | Erwin | Johnson City | Knoxville | Lynchburgh | Roanoke | Spartanburg | and more
- Railfan Guides
- Abandoned Lines & Railroads
- 3Cs Model Railroad: CRR, SOU, ET&WNC & the 3Cs
- Sources & Resources: Scholars & Authors | Books | Museums | Organizations | Links
- Appalachian-Railroads.org: Site Map | Editor
- Related: Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org
Page Contents
Website Editor – Sandhi Kozsuch
A native of Johnson City Tennessee, I’m Sandhi (Sandy) Kozsuch the Researcher, Chronicler, Editor, Webmaster, Photographer, and Train Dispatcher of the 3Cs Website & Model Railroad.
Tennessean
Don’t let the spelling of my name throw you, I’m a Tennessee boy still sporting remnants of a southern accent. Other career and train stops throughout my life include Richmond, Charlotte, Princeton NJ/New York City, and now the Atlanta area…..all excellent railroad destinations.
2nd Childhood
After an almost a 50-year career in television and the internet, it was time to enjoy my second childhood just like I did my first one. I spent countless hours watching the Clinchfield, the ET&WNC, and the Southern Railway trains parading through Johnson City. On many days, all I had to do was look out the window, as the railroads were just outside my school window. Now, I can relive those great memories and those railroads through this website, pictures, books, and on my model railroad.
History in my DNA
During those early years, many in my family loved history. In my youth, nothing could have been more boring to me than history. Over 50 years later, the opposite is true, I so enjoy researching and writing about the railroads of East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. Wish I had taken the time to photograph and research during those days of youth.
3Cs and the Johnson City Railroads Come to Life
Lucky or unlucky for me, there is little written or highlighted about the Charleston Cincinnati & Chicago Railroad, the 3Cs. It was the predecessor of the Clinchfield Railroad by 25 years. This is my perfect opportunity to bring the 3Cs to life through historical research, writing, trekking and hunting for old roadbed, building a model railroad, and creating an online home for the railroads of Johnson City, East Tennessee, and Southwest Virginia.
To me, there are no four railroads in our country as rich in history and legacy than the 3Cs, the Clinchfield, the ET&WNC, and the Southern.
Website Goals
My goals for this endeavor are simple:
- Preserve and further explore the stories and the history of the railroads and the East Tennessee & Southwest Virginia region
- Share the new information and stories I find, and link you to the information that exists
- Honor and highlight the individuals and organizations who have these same goals. and those who have already given so much of their time in decades past
- Share the hobby of model railroading
Website Timeline – A Work in Progress
With full retirement beginning January 2023, I’m hoping to have the website in good shape and full of good content within a year. However, I know true completion is years away.
The model railroad will take more time, with at least 5 years to complete all the scenery. Initial running of the trains is only a few months away.
Please come back and visit Rails Across the Appalachians often in the years ahead.
Give Me a Shout
Don’t hesitate to contact me below if you have similar interests in these railroads or in model railroading using the form below.
Thanks for stopping by.
Sandhi