Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway (NC&StL)

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Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway

  • 6th railroad to cross the Appalachian Mountains, connecting the Atlantic Ocean with the Ohio River in 1896.
Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway - NC&StL

NC&StL Railway – Ohio River to the Atlantic Ocean

The NC&StL Railway completed its rail line from the Ohio River southward across the Cumberland Plateau to Chattanooga TN in 1877. By coordinating with partnering rail lines, they were able to move freight and passengers from the Ohio Valley to the Atlantic seaboard with the help of partner railroads. By 1890, NC&StL had reached Atlanta GA, allowing for a more seamless rail service from the Ohio to the Atlantic.

The Dixie Line

The Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway (NC&StL), known as the “Dixie Line,” was a crucial component of the Southeastern U.S. railway network for over a century. Chartered in 1845 as the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad, it was the first railroad in Tennessee and a forward-thinking, successful enterprise that helped usher the state into the industrial age. Despite facing immense challenges, including the devastation of the Civil War and a protracted takeover by its rival, the Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N), the NC&StL maintained its identity for decades until its formal merger in 1957. Its legacy continues today through the main lines operated by CSX Transportation and the dedicated preservation efforts of groups like the Nashville Steam Preservation Society.

Photo credit: NC&StL, L&N and personal collection.

Nashville Chattanooga & St Louis Railway

History: Pioneering Tennessee’s first railroad

The story of the NC&StL began on December 11, 1845, when the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad was chartered by the Tennessee General Assembly. The vision for the line, spearheaded by prominent Nashville businessmen, was to connect Nashville with the Western & Atlantic Railroad at Chattanooga, thus linking Middle Tennessee’s resources to Atlantic ports via Georgia. Construction began in 1848, but the project proved to be a formidable engineering challenge, requiring extensive excavation and the difficult construction of the Cowan Tunnel through the Cumberland Plateau. The 152-mile line was finally completed in 1854, marking the first railway to operate in Tennessee.

Civil War

During the Civil War, the NC&StL’s strategic location made it a prime military target for both Union and Confederate forces. The line, especially its bridges and rolling stock, was repeatedly damaged and repaired. From 1864 until the end of the war, the U.S. Military Railroad took control of the line. While this ensured repairs, it also left the N&C heavily in debt when it was returned to its owners in 1865. The company, however, demonstrated remarkable resilience, successfully repaying its debts and embarking on a period of expansion.

Leaders, finances, and operation

The railroad was initially financed through stock subscriptions from municipalities and wealthy individuals, including prominent Nashville merchants and landowners. One of the line’s key early leaders and promoters was Vernon K. Stevenson, who served as its first president for 16 years. His efforts in securing funding and promoting the railroad were crucial to its early success.

After the Civil War, the company grew rapidly, and in 1873, it was reorganized and renamed the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway to reflect its ambition to reach St. Louis. Although the St. Louis expansion never materialized due to the L&N takeover, the railroad did expand significantly throughout Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, and Georgia.

Operationally, the NC&StL was known for its efficiency and modernity. Its equipment evolved over time, starting with early steam locomotives and later adopting streamlined designs and roller-bearing technology. In the post-World War II era, it embraced diesel power, retiring its final steam locomotives in the 1950s. The railroad handled a diverse range of traffic, including freight and passenger services. It operated a roster of named passenger trains, such as the City of Memphis and the Georgian, and played a role in joint passenger services with other major railways.

Mergers, Acquisitions and the L&N

A pivotal moment in the NC&StL’s history occurred in 1880, when its larger rival, the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, acquired a controlling interest through a hostile stock takeover. The takeover was met with public opposition in Nashville, leading the L&N to allow the NC&StL to continue operating as a separate subsidiary for over 70 years. This arrangement allowed the NC&StL to maintain its distinct identity and operational integrity for decades, although its expansion plans were closely controlled by the L&N.

Major mergers and acquisitions by the NC&StL during its period of independence included:

  • Nashville & Northwestern Railroad (1866): Leased and eventually acquired, this connected the main line with Memphis.
  • Western & Atlantic Railroad (1890): The NC&StL secured a 29-year lease of this state-owned line, which provided crucial access to Atlanta.
  • Various branches: The railroad also purchased smaller branch lines, such as the Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Company’s branch to Tracy City and the Duck River Valley Narrow-Gauge Railroad, which primarily served coal and mining operations.

Challenges and legacy

Throughout its history, the NC&StL faced significant challenges beyond the Civil War. One of the worst railroad accidents in American history occurred on its line in 1918 at Dutchman’s Curve near Nashville. The Depression also brought economic hardship, but the railroad proved financially strong enough to weather the storm.

NC&StL mergers with L&N

The end of the NC&StL’s independent existence came in 1957 when the Interstate Commerce Commission approved its formal merger into the Louisville & Nashville Railroad. The merger, while financially justified, marked the end of an era for the proud “Dixie Line”.

Abandoned segments


Following the merger with the L&N and subsequent consolidation into CSX, many parts of the NC&StL system were abandoned. Notable examples include:

  • The route from Nashville to Hickman, Kentucky.
  • The Tracy City branch.
  • Sections of the former Tennessee Central, a rival railroad with overlapping routes, also saw abandonments after L&N acquisition.

The NC&StL today


While the NC&StL is no longer an operating entity, its legacy is preserved in several ways. Much of its original main line is still active under CSX Transportation, a successor railroad that absorbed the L&N and its assets. Portions of the former route, such as the Western & Atlantic line, remain a vital part of the modern rail network. Preserved equipment, like steam locomotive No. 576, which is undergoing restoration in Nashville, serves as a tangible link to the past. In addition, CSX unveiled a heritage locomotive in 2024 to honor the NC&StL’s contributions to the region. Through these efforts and the historical societies dedicated to its memory, the story of the Dixie Line continues to be told.

NC&StL Railway Stats

  • Reporting Mark: NC&StL
  • Chartered: 1845
  • Operated: 1851-1957
  • Mainline Length: 1,189 miles
  • Predecessor: Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad
  • Mainline: Hickman and Paducah KY to Atlanta GA (through Nashville and Chattanooga), Memphis to Nashville TN
  • Primary Cities: Nashville TN, Chattanooga TN, Atlanta GA, Memphis TN, and Paducah KY
  • Headquarters: Nashville TN
  • Passenger Trains: City of Memphis, Dixie Express, Dixie Flyer, Dixie Limited, Dixie Flagler
  • Successor: Louisville & Nashville Railroad
  • NC&StL Today: Part of CSX Transportation

NC&StL Historical Timeline

Click here for a detailed historical timeline of the Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway.

NC&StL Diesel Locomotive Roster

Click here for a diesel locomotive roster for the NC&StL.

NC&StL Passenger Trains

Click here to see an overview of the NC&StL Passenger Trains.

NC&StL Map

Nashville Chattanooga & St Louis Railway Map

NC&StL Memory by Ron Flanary

Narrative and Photo by Ron Flanary

L&N F7A No. 1831 leads through freight No. 66 at Appalachia, Va. on Labor Day, 1964. This blue and gray locomotive is obviously a former Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis unit, added to the roster the August 1957 when that road was merged into the L&N.

The “NC’s” F-units were true dual-purpose locomotives, working both freight and passenger trains. In 1962-63, they were replaced in their former territory by new GP30s and GP35s. After joining the general freight pool of locomotives, they could, and did, show up all over the L&N system. The L&N merely added 1000 to all the former NC units, so this one was NC&StL No. 831. A major renumbering project in the summer of 1965 cleaned up all the interim numbering problems, including filling in blanks caused by wreck retirements of older units.

NC&StL F7 at Appalachia VA 1964 - Ron Flanary

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