Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum's Hiwassee Loop Train - Sunday, 10-02-2022
We spent half of this year’s fall vacation attending the joint L&N Historical Society/Southern Ry Historical Society joint convention in Chattanooga hosted by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (more on that later). After that was over we headed north to Cleveland and over to Delano TN, to ride the Sunday Hiwassee Loop Train. TVRM now operates the former L&N line from Etowah to Copperhill, TN, (see schedule), although there are no commercial customers at the present time to my knowledge. TVRM operates March through November with excursion trains from Delano to Copperhill on Saturday and Delano to Farner on Sunday. The L&NHS/SRHS itinerary consumed all of Saturday, so we elected to do the shorter, Sunday run.
1. Hiwassee River Rail Adventure brochure.
2. Trains depart from a large parking area beside US 411 near Delano TN. There are signs to direct you. They used to depart from Etowah. Hiwassee.
3. Etowah was a large L&N yard and crew change point between Corbin and Atlanta. Etowah was also the origin for the freight trains that plied the old “Hook and Eye Division”. Cleveland, TN-NC, 1:100,000 quad, 1981, USGS.
4. Cory Farmer gave me this handout from the ride they took. Hiwassee brochure page 1.
5. Hiwassee brochure page 2.
6. Hiwassee brochure page 3.
7. Hiwassee brochure page 4.
8. Hiwassee brochure page 5.
9. Hiwassee brochure page 6.
10. We rode in this former Missouri Pacific car. It came out of AC&F in 1947 as a “grill car.” Illinois Central acquired 873 and converted it to a “table car.” TVR 873 1478 ex-MP coach. Delano TN.
11. L&N passenger trains had a scheduled stop at Reliance TN, so I suppose this sign could have come from the old depot. TVR.
12. Crossing the Hiwassee River bridge at Reliance TN. TVR.
13. Looking east up the Hiwassee River at Reliance TN. TVR.
14. 1:24,000 scale McFarland Quad Reliance to Apalachia Power House. McFarland TN, 1:24,000 quad, 1957, USGS.
15. Climbing above the river near Apalachia TN. TVR.
16. USGS 1:24,000 scale Farner Quad for 1957. Farner, TN-NC, 1:24,000 quad, 1957, USGS. Click here for a larger image.
17. Looking back after passing under the famous Hiwassee Loop bridge. Not a lot of clearance. TVR. Hiwassee Loop.
18. Looking down on the lower level. TVR near Farner TN.
19. GMTX 2004-TVRM 5109 crossing the Hiwassee Loop bridge. TVR. Hiwassee Loop.
20. It took 4 minutes to negotiate the “Hiwassee Loop.” TVR.
21. Climbing the steep grade up to Farner with the five-car train. TVR near Farner TN.
22. TVA’s (Tennessee Valley Authority) Apalachia Dam was built in 1943 to provide hydroelectric power for aluminum production. The track is in Tennessee, but the dam is in North Carolina. TVR.
23. USGS 1:24,000 scale Farner Quad from 1936. The dam hasn’t been constructed yet. Farner, TN-NC, 1:24,000 quad, 1936, USGS.
24. TVR 5109-GMTX 2004 cutting away from train at Farner TN.
25. Running around the train. 189 guests were aboard this Sunday which is a good count. TVR 5109-GMTX 2004. Farner TN.
26. USGS 1:125,000 scale Murphy Quad from 1893. The Marietta & North Georgia Ry. utilized a pair of switchbacks to drop into the Hiwassee gorge. Passenger service between Knoxville and Atlanta was inaugurated in 1890 when construction was completed. The dangerous switchback was eliminated in 1898 by the loop around Bald Mountain. Murphy, TN-NC, 1:125,000 quad, 1893, USGS.
27. The top track is 62 feet above the lower track. TVR Hiwassee Loop.
28. TVR Hiwassee Loop.
29. View of the lower level. TVR Hiwassee Loop.
30. TVR Hiwassee Loop.
31. Like the Tehachapi Loop on the Southern Pacific in California and the Pennsy’s famous Horseshoe Curve, these methods of solving grade problems were engineering masterpieces. L&N scene Hiwassee Loop TN.
32. The reason this line became so important was the development of copper mines and smelters in the late 1800s. Tennessee Copper Co. sold out to Cities Service (the petroleum company Citgo). The copper companies had their own extensive rail lines out to the mines. Mining ceased in the 1980s, but the sulfuric plant continued until the late 1990s. Tenn Copper Co aerial view 1966.
33. Tenn Copper Co aerial view 1966. Postcard address side.
34. Crossing the Hiwassee River northbound at Reliance TN. TVR.
35. At the end of our ride near Delano, ex-Southern GP38-2 5109 waits to shove the train back about a mile to a storage track. This train normally operates with only one unit, but an air compressor problem on 5109 necessitated the second unit this day. TVR 5109 1563 ex-Sou GP38-2. Delano TN.
36. Following are some timetable excerpts illustrating L&N service on the “Hook & Eye.”. L&N pass tt 1930.No 407.
37. From Marietta to Atlanta L&N trains operated over the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis which L&N later merged. L&N pass tt 1930. Page 51.
38. Knoxville And Atlanta (K&A) Division employee timetable #31 for 11-17-1946. L&N emp tt 1946.
39. The segment from Etowah to Blue Ridge could use a J-3 light USRA 2-8-2 but not the J-4 heavy USRA “Mike.” L&N emp tt 1946.
40. H-29A class 2-8-0s were used on the “Hook & Eye.” L&N No. 1356 is at East St. Louis IL, in 1938.
41. L&N No. 1524 is typical of the J-3 2-8-2s that operated over the line. Pictured at East St. Louis in 1948.
42. L&N No. 229 is a typical K-4 class 4-6-2 that pulled Trains 1 and 4 over the “Hook & Eye” in late steam years. Pictured at Corbin KY, date unknown.
43. K&A Div. #40 for 1954 shows a day and night local freight from Etowah to Copperhill. No steam tonnage rating was given. L&N emp tt 1954.
44. K&A Div. for 1969. L&N emp tt 1969.
45. Note that 6-axle units were prohibited. L&N emp tt 1969.
46. The K&A Div. in 1969. L&N emp tt. 1969. Map.
47. The new Knoxville Div. L&N employee timetable #1 for 11-14-1971.
48. Schedules for the rest of the “Hook & Eye” in 1969. L&N emp tt 1971.
49. L&N GP38 4037 leads two more ‘38s southbound at Reliance on the early evening of 06-17-1982. L&N bridge. Reliance TN.
50. L&N bridge over the Hiwassee River at Reliance TN on 06-17-1982. L&N 4037-GP38-4117.
51. CSX Atlanta Div. L&N employee timetable #2 for 10-25-1987. All trains run as extras.
52. CSX GP40-2 6055 (ex-Chessie B&O) is M.U.ed with 5512-2527-5572 switching the Copperhill yard on 07-28-1997. The industry’s track leads off up the hill to the sulfuric acid plant on the right. They had their own SW1500 or MP15. The plant would close in a short time. Copperhill TN.
For further reading see:
Louisville & Nashville’s Atlanta Division by Michael George. 192 pages, hard cover, 2000.
Tennessee’s Great Copper Basin by Harriet Frye. Images of America series by Arcadia Publishing, 127 pages, soft cover, 2017.
The Tennessee Copper Company 1899-1970 by Harriet Frye also from Arcadia. 2022.
Train images used by permission of Everett N Young