The Loops: Clinchfield Railroad Quick Service Short Line Betweeen the Central West and South East
Published: 04/29/2010 by Blue Ridge Parkway
The Loops: Clinchfield Railroad Quick Service Short Line Betweeen the Central West and South East
The old Clinchfield Railroad loops and tunnels through the Blue Ridge Mountains constructed this difficult railroad section begining in 1905, when 4,000 workmen, mainly Russion, German and Italian immigrants began blasting and hammering their way over and through the mountain.
Labor strife led to bloodshed and cave-ins were common.It is believed that more than 200 men were killed before the construction of the Loops was completed in 1908.
The iron, shrill whistle of the steam engine sihnaled many changes for the people who lived in nearby communities. Timber and mining companies used the railroad to haul lumber and minerals out of the area. Industry, with its promise of steady wages, lured many men from the farm and changed forever the lives of mountain families.
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Clinchfield Railroad Quick Service Short Line Betweeen the Central west and South East
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