Knoxville Division (L&N) Progress
My L&N, KD Diviison (now a CSX Subdivision) is back into the working line and I am currently fluffing out the Southern branch from Knoxville to Middlesboro, KY, working toward Knoxville. There are a few tunnels on the line including a long one under Cumberland Gap. Here, looking railroad south, we have a bridge over the Clinch River and a tunnel. At this point it is actually Norris Lake which was impounded on the Clinch starting after Norris Dam was completed in 1936 - the first TVA dam constructed new. TVA has a few older dams that were acquired from the original owners.
At this point we will start up a roughly 1.5% grade to Washburn, TN and just beyond that is a huge quarry, essentially the only business left except a little coal out of Middlesboro. We are at about mile CG-41 out of Knoxville. This line is now operated by R. J. Corman. At the top right, the yellow line leads upgrade on mostly tangent with a few homes, barns, etc. and a lot of trees until it exists from that valley by a hard left turn, about a 8 degree curve continueing up grade,, and then a sharp right turn leads into Washburn. This is mostly small farms and some homes with a lot of forested areas of various densities. I'll add to this thread as I piddle along and when I go to a different line, I'll start a thread for that. I might add that in my 13 years on the Southern, we tested this branch twice a year because, while it did not have much traffic, what there was in those 1960s-70s was mostly coal and coal cars beat up track pretty bad.
Jerry Sullivan
Middle01.jpg
At this point we will start up a roughly 1.5% grade to Washburn, TN and just beyond that is a huge quarry, essentially the only business left except a little coal out of Middlesboro. We are at about mile CG-41 out of Knoxville. This line is now operated by R. J. Corman. At the top right, the yellow line leads upgrade on mostly tangent with a few homes, barns, etc. and a lot of trees until it exists from that valley by a hard left turn, about a 8 degree curve continueing up grade,, and then a sharp right turn leads into Washburn. This is mostly small farms and some homes with a lot of forested areas of various densities. I'll add to this thread as I piddle along and when I go to a different line, I'll start a thread for that. I might add that in my 13 years on the Southern, we tested this branch twice a year because, while it did not have much traffic, what there was in those 1960s-70s was mostly coal and coal cars beat up track pretty bad.
Jerry Sullivan
Middle01.jpg
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