CSX Transportation Historical Society

NS - Clinch Valley Dist and Clinch Valley Extension (Interstate)

After photographing the CSX inspection train on 01-26-2022 from Lancer KY to St. Paul VA, I decided to make a short side trip to Carbo VA to check out that small Norfolk Southern terminal.

1. The former NS car repair shop at Carbo VA. The train is parked on the Dumps Creek Branch which has no active mines now. 01-26-2022.

2. NS 1123-4085. Carbo VA.

3. NS 1123 SD70ACe. Carbo VA.

4. NS 4085 is former Dash 9-40 or 44 DC converted to an AC. They are now called a “AC44C6M.” Carbo VA.

5. The former NS Carbo VA yard office. Carbo VA hosted crews from Bluefield and Williamson as well as several mine runs.

6. Looking north on the Dumps Creek Branch. NS yard office. Carbo VA.

7. APCO’s Clinch River plant is presently shut down. Originally coal for the plant arrived by rail from the mines on Dumps Creek. NS Carbo yard.

8. NS Carbo terminal zone.

9. Clinch Valley main line on right. West leg of wye and tracks to APCO on left. NS junction. Carbo VA.

10. Eastbound signal. The bridge is privately owned by Appalachian Power, so there is no access. NS junction. Carbo VA.

11. Westbound signal and east leg of Carbo wye. NS junction. Carbo VA.

12. Wye switch onto Dumps Creek Branch. NS junction. Carbo VA.

13. NS Yard Limit sign. Carbo VA.

14. Everything formerly Clinchfield Coal or Dickenson-Russell Coal is shut down. Dumps Creek was booming with coal and rail activity at one time. S Clinchfield VA. 01-26-2022.

15. Former N&W Norton VA yard looking west on a foggy 12-17-2021 morning. No crews work out of here now. The yard office is on the left.

16. NS cab 555006 is parked on the spur to the Paragon Mine in Appalachia VA on 04-26-2022. Cab is a class C32P build in 04-1976 for the N&W. This is a segment of the old L&N that goes only as far east as the mine. The cab is probably used when shoving to the mine to load.

17. NS cab 555006. View 2. Appalachia VA.

18. NS Andover Yard Office and former Southern nee-Interstate Ry. shop. Andover VA. 04-26-2022.

19. Southern built this building. NS yard office. Andover VA.

20. NS cab 555582 is an ex-N&W C31 built 11-1969. Andover VA.

21. We departed for Big Stone Gap but met this train coming in. NS 8176-8134 arrive from Frisco with covered hoppers. Andover VA. NS 8176-8134.

22. NS 8176-8134. Andover VA.

23. Heading to the former CRR at Dante, we overtook this eastbound coal train at St. Paul. We didn’t have much time to set up for a photo at Boody VA. NS 4215.

24. The track on the left is the connection with the former Clinchfield. Obviously no interchange takes place here now, but prior to the mergers it was used a lot for coal and freight. NS 4215. Boody VA. 04-26-2022.

25. Interstate Railway’s loco shop and was used by Southern as a car shop. Andover VA. 07-16-2022. NS shop.

26. Former NS shop. That blemish on the right is a smudge on the camera lens. Andover VA.

27. Looking toward Appalachia. NS yard. Andover VA .

28. NS yard. View 2. Andover VA.

29. NS shop. Andover VA.

30. This building housed the Southern trainmaster and Appalachia Division superintendent in later years. NS office. Andover VA .

31. NS shop. Andover VA.

32. Car shop, retarder and winch for moving cars in shop. NS winch. Andover VA.

33. NS Retarder. The cable was in a trench of sorts. Andover VA.

34. Looks like a huge counter weight. I would have loved to seen this contraption in operation. NS Winch. Andover VA .

35. NS 8012-9521 are parked on the Paragon Spur at Appalachia with shifter U48-16. This train loaded at Red River Coal’s Steer Branch mine at Holton (near Norton) and not at the Paragon Mine. It had 74 cars consisting of 60 loads for Tennessee Eastman at Kingsport and 14 for White River Coal Sales (Savannah Foods) at Port Wentworth GA. Appalachia VA. 07-16-2022.

All for now.