Ohio River & Charleston Railway

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Ohio River & Charleston Railway – OR&C

OR&C – A Second Attempt

The Ohio River & Charleston Railway (OR&C) was the second try at building a line across the Central Appalachian Mountains using the routing through Southwest Virginia, East Tennessee, and Western North Carolina. While in receivership, the Charleston Cincinnati and Chicago Railroad was purchased by Charles Hellier for $550,000 in 1893 and renamed the OR&C.

There were actually four Ohio River & Charleston Railway companies…..one for Tennessee, for Virginia, for North Carolina, and for South Carolina. The four were combined in 1894 to form a singular OR&C Railway Company.

OR&C Railway Stats

  • Reporting Mark: OR&C
  • Predecessor: Charleston Cincinnati & Chicago Railroad – 3Cs
  • Operated: 1893-1902
  • Mainline: Several segments were operated, but eventually sold. Minimal construction was completed. Initially, the mainline was intended to run from Ashland KY to Charleston SC. But due to challenges, eventually the line was planned to run from the Virginia coalfields such as Toms Creek VA to Wilmington NC. The Seaboard Air Line would have provided the trackage from Bostic to Wilmington NC.
  • Segments Operated: Johnson City TN to Huntdale NC, Marion NC to Kingsville SC, and the Chattaroi Railroad segment in Kentucky.
  • Primary Cities: Johnson City TN
  • Successors: Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, Georgia Extension Railroad (Southern Railway), and South & Western Railway (Clinchfield Railroad)
  • OR&C Today: Part of CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern

OR&C Ashland KY to Wilmington NC

Hellier initially retained the goal of building a railroad from Ashland KY to Charleston SC. But because of political headwinds in South Carolina, he changed his plan to use the Atlantic Ocean port of Wilmington NC. His new plan was to access the port at Wilmington utilizing a connection with the Seaboard Air Line at Bostic NC.

OR&C Minimal Construction and Operation

During the mid-1890s, the OR&C was able to extend the line south of Erwin TN through the Nolichucky/Toe River gorge southward past Huntdale NC. But, the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains was never crossed. Eventually time and money ran out for the OR&C, and like the CC&C, it was forced into foreclosure.

OR&C Divestitures

At some point during the 1890s, the old CC&C roadbed in Virginia was sold to the South Atlantic & Ohio Railway between Moccasin Gap and Clinchport. In the early 1900s, the Southern Railway acquired the line which gave it access to the Virginia coalfields via the Natural Tunnel.

Hellier sold the South Carolina portion of the OR&C south of Marion NC to the South Carolina and Georgia Extension Railroad in 1898, which eventually became part of the Southern Railway in 1902.

In 1900 the northern part of the OR&C in Kentucky was sold to the C&O Railway.

Clinchfield Railroad

And finally in 1902, the Tennessee section was sold to George L. Carter, who temporarily named it the South & Western Railway. It eventually became the Carolina Clinchfield & Ohio, and finally just the Clinchfield Railroad. The goal of both the 3Cs and the OR&C was finally realized on the third try by Carter and the Clinchfield.

Ohio River & Charleston Map

Due to pushback from Charleston and South Carolina, the OR&C had to change their plans substituting Wilmington NC as their Atlantic Ocean port.

(To view map with greater detail, use the zoom feature on your browser)

Ohio River & Charleston Railway Map

Ohio River & Charleston Additional Links

For More Information – Sources and Resources

The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the history and operation of the Appalachian Railroads. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Appalachian-Railroads.org. Much of the content on the website is verified across multiple sources.

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3Cs Websites

Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org