Nolichucky River
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Page Contents
Nolichucky River
The Nolichucky flows through the Appalachian Mountains for 115 miles in Western North Carolina and East Tennessee. Not only is known for it’s natural beauty, with some segments passing through a narrow gorge, but it also provides some of the best white water rafting in the nation.
Appalachian Mountain Water Gap
The Nolichucky was a key water gap that made transportation in the Appalachian Mountains region possible. Not only was it used to travel downstream and westward toward Knoxville and the Tennessee River, but it also provided a low-grade upstream route for a railroad, which actually travels southward to the Atlantic seaboard. Click here for more information on the Appalachian Mountain water, wind, and mountain gaps.
CSX/Clinchfield Railroads
Photo: The CSX Railroad crossing over the Nolichucky River just south of Poplar NC
The Nolichucky is the pathway through the Appalachians for today’s CSX Railroad, which was previously the Clinchfield Railroad. By using this route, the Clinchfield was able to become a major hauler of coal and manifest freight, providing a less challenging climb through and over the Blue Ridge mountains on the way to the Carolinas and the southeastern states. Prior to the Clinchfield, there were two railroads that tried, but failed to complete their route using the Nolichucky, the Charleston Cincinnati & Chicago Railroad and the Ohio River & Charleston Railway.
Nolichucky River Stats:
- Origination: Confluence of the North Toe River and the Cane River near Huntdale NC
- End Point: Confluence with the French Broad River near White Pine TN
- Length: 115 Miles
- Flow: Nolichucky – French Broad – Tennessee – Ohio – Mississippi – Gulf of Mexico
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.
- Association: Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Historical Society
- Association: Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society
- Association: Carolina Clinchfield Chapter National Railway Historical Society
- Association: ET&WNC Railroad Historical Society and their Facebook Page
- Association: George L. Carter Railroad Historical Society
- Association: Louisville & Nashville Railroad Historical Society
- Association: Norfolk & Western Historical Society
- Association: Southern Railway Historical Association
- Association: Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society
- Personal Maps & Memorabilia: Documents, maps, timetables, and track charts
- Archives of Appalachia: ETSU, Johnson City TN
- Book – Castner, Flanary & Dorin: Louisville & Nashville Railroad, The Old Reliable
- Book – Drury. The Historical Guide to North American Railroads
- Book – Flanary: The Louisville & Nashville Cumberland Valley Division
- Book – Flanary, Lindsey & Oroszi. The Southern Railway
- Book – Flanary, Oroszi & McKee: ‘The Louisville & Nashville in the Appalachians’
- Books – Goforth: ‘Building the Clinchfield‘ and ‘When Steam Ran the Clinchfield‘
- Book – Graybeal: ‘The Railroads of Johnson City‘
- Book – Irwin & Stahl: ‘The Last Empire Builder: The Life of George L. Carter‘
- Book – Lindsey: ‘Norfolk Southern 1995 Review’
- Book – King: ‘Clinchfield Country‘
- Book – Marsh: ‘Clinchfield in Color‘
- Book – Oroszi & Flanary: ‘Dixie Lines, The Louisville & Nashville Railroad’
- Book – Poole: ‘A History of Railroading in Western North Carolina‘
- Book – Poteat & Taylor: ‘The CSX Clinchfield Route in the 21st Century‘
- Book – Stevens & Peoples: ‘The Clinchfield No. 1 – Tennessee’s Legendary Steam Engine‘
- Book – Way: ‘The Clinchfield Railroad, the Story of a Trade Route Across the Blue Ridge Mountains‘
- Book – Webb: ‘The Southern Railway System: An Illustrated History’
- Book – Wolfe: Southern Railway Appalachia Division
- Magazines/Online: ‘Trains‘, ‘Classic Trains‘
- Newspaper Articles: Newspapers.com
- Online Article: Flanary: ‘The Quick Service Route, The Clinchfield Railroad‘; Scientific American: ‘The Costliest Railroad in America‘
- Online Videos: Ken Marsh on Kingsport area railroads and region’s history Video #1 | Video #2:
- Website: Carolana.com – North Carolina Railroads, South Carolina Railroads
- Website: HawkinsRails.net
- Website: StateOfFranklin.net which hosts Johnson’s Depot
- Website: RailFanGuides.us for Johnson City and for Erwin
- Website: SteamLocomotive.com
- Website: VirginiaPlaces.org – Railroad History of Virginia
- Website: WvncRails.org – North Carolina and West Virginia Railroads
Contact Us
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
