First Appalachian Railroads

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First Appalachian Railroads

Baltimore & Ohio: The First to Reach the Ohio River

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad - B&O

In the 1850s, the Baltimore and Ohio reached the Ohio River with a rail line through Maryland and West Virginia utilizing the banks of the Potomac River. However, this railroad would have little benefit for Tennessee, Kentucky, and the Carolinas, and most of Virginia. The B&O was also a key Civil War rail line for the Union, so it was not until the late 1860s that the railroad could continue its expansion, finally reaching beyond the Ohio.

Southern Railway: First Railroad in the Southern Appalachians

Collectively in the 1850s, the predecessors of the Southern Railway were the first railroads to span the region east-to-west ‘through’ the great valley (no mountain crossings). These early railroads were also important supply lines during the Civil War. The railroads which would eventually be merged to form the Southern Railway, were uniquely positioned to help rebuild the South after the war. They connected the population centers of the northeast with the southern cities such as Knoxville, Chattanooga, Memphis, Birmingham, and New Orleans. Southern-Railroads.org

Southern Railway - SOU

Southern Railway’s #4501, restored and passing through Daniel Boone VA

Southern Railway #4501 - Ron Flanary

Skirting the Mountains: NC&StL Railway

Nashville Chattanooga & St Louis - NC&StL

To the west, the Nashville, Chattanooga, & St. Louis Railway in 1852 had avoided the mountains by routing through Nashville. Even with the B&O, Southern, and NC&StL, the non-existence of trans-Appalachian railroads remained between northern Virginia and Nashville TN, There were virtually no rail lines crossing America’s mid-section. Traveling from Charleston SC meant you had to detour through Nashville or Washington DC to reach Cincinnati.

1870s Appalachian Railroads Interactive Map

This interactive Google Map shows the dearth of railroads in the mountain region in 1870. No railroad between Baltimore MD and Nashville TN, a distance of 700 miles, had crossed the mountains at 90-degrees.

1870 Appalachian Railroads

  • B&O Railroad (blue), C&O predecessors (yellow), and NC&StL predecessors (red), were the only three railroads by the early 1870s to cross the mountains. The NC&StL took a much easier path to the south, skirting much of the mountains by way of Chattanooga.
  • The east-to-west collection of railroads, mostly predecessors of the Southern Railway (green) that took the easy route through valleys and the piedmont, with no mountains to cross.

Click here to better view the Google Interactive Map.

Appalachian Railroads

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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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Would enjoy hearing from you if you have questions, suggestions, edits, or content that you are willing to share. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have similar interests in the railroads or model railroading.

3Cs Websites

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