Smoky Mountain Railroad

Smoky Mountain Railroad
Reporting mark SMR
Locale east Tennessee
Dates of operation 1909–1961
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Headquarters Knoxville, Tennessee

The Smoky Mountain Railroad was a standard gauge class-III Shortline that operated from Knoxville, Tennessee to Sevierville, Tennessee from 1909 until 1961.

History

The railroad was established by Knoxville contractor William J. Oliver, and was originally named the Knoxville, Sevierville and Eastern Railway.[1] It was incorporated on July 15, 1907, and construction started in 1908. The first segment was opened between Vestal in South Knoxville and Sevierville on December 20, 1909, bringing the line's total length to 27.8 miles. The line connected with the Southern Railway at Knoxville.[2] In July 1921, the bank foreclosed on the railroad and later sold it for $50,000 to L.C. Gunter on November 1, 1921. The line was then re-organized as the Knoxville & Carolina Railroad Company. The railroad was sold again at auction for $50,000 on May 1, 1926, but since the new owner intended to disband the company and sell off the assets, the sale was delayed. It was eventually purchased by the Tennessee and North Carolina Railroad and re-named the Smoky Mountain Railroad.[3]

At the end of 1937, the T&NC sold their shares of the Smoky Mountain Railroad to Midwest Steel, a company that dealt in scrap iron. On April 11, 1938, the owners of the railroad applied for abandonment but the application was denied. The railroad changed ownership numerous times over years, as the line was never particularly profitable and struggled to stay afloat with as few as 300 carloads of freight being shipped out of Sevierville annually.

Smoky Mountain Railroad #107 in 2008

World War II brought about the only notable period of profitability for the railroad, as the Tennessee Valley Authority initiated construction of Douglas Dam on the French Broad River a few miles north of Sevierville. A branch line was constructed from Sevierville to the dam site, and the Smoky Mountain Railroad hauled in most of the equipment and materials needed to construct the dam.

Once the dam was complete the railroad once again began to struggle, and by 1946 the line was losing money. The stockholders of the railroad applied for abandonment in 1947, but the Interstate Commerce Commission denied the request. In 1951, passenger services ended. The railroad ended steam operations on December 9th, 1954 with 1911 Baldwin 4-6-2 #110 (former Little River Railroad #110) pulling the last steam powered train. This was due to the Southern Railway (who the SMRR relied on for maintainace of their steam locomotives) dismantling their steam shops in Knoxville. The railroad then used a GE 44 ton diesel for motive power. The railroad continued to operate until January 16th, 1961 when operations were suspended due to poor track conditions. In May 1964, the ICC finally approved a request for abandonment.[3]

Smoky Mountain Railroad #107

In 1966, the track was taken up. The railroad is now completely gone. Several of the Smoky Mountain Railroad's former locomotives are still in existence. In 1961 steam locomotives #107, a 2-8-0; and #206, a 2-6-0; were sold to "Rebel Railroad", a narrow gauge tourist train line built at nearby Pigeon Forge for static display. Rebel Railroad changed ownership over the years and is today part of the Dollywood theme park. #107 is still displayed at the entrance to Dollywood, however #206 was sold to the "Chattanooga Choo-Choo Hotel" in Chattanooga, Tennessee in the early 1970s.[4][5]

4-6-2 #110, originally built for the Little River Railroad, is now at Coldwater, MI operating on a tourist railroad.[6]


Locomotives

No. Wheel
Arrangement 		Builder Built Retired Notes
20 4-6-0 Baldwin Locomotive Works unknown unknown This locomotive was used in the construction of the line and in the operations of the railroad. Not much is known about this engine.
23 0-6-0 Baldwin Locomotive Works 1907 unknown Built as Mobile and Ohio Railroad #23. Sold to the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1941. Used with the construction of Douglas Dam. Disposition unknown.
34 4-4-0 Baldwin Locomotive Works 9/1883 unknown Built as Cincinnati Southern Railway #81. Later Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway #581. Renumbered at #545. Became Southern Railway #6401. Sold to the KS&E on September 14th, 1918. Disposition unknown.
35 2-6-0 Baldwin Locomotive Works 8/1895 Unknown Built as Mobile & Birmingham Railway #14, later became Southern #3001. Sold to the KS&E in April 1915. Disposition Unknown
36 4-6-0 Baldwin Locomotive Works 9/1897 Unknown Built as Mobile & Birmingham Railway #16, later became Southern #704. Later 657, and finally 1378. Sold to the KS&E in 1915. Disposition Unknown.
100 4-4-0 Baldwin Locomotive Works 12/1883 Unknown Built as Pennsylvania Railroad #232. Disposition Unknown
102 2-6-2 Lima Locomotive Works 12/1913 1943 Built as Tennessee and North Carolina Railway #5, later renumbered to 102. Sold to the SMRR in 1927. Scrapped for the scrap metal drives during World War 2 in 1943.
107 2-8-0 Baldwin Locomotive Works 11/1887 12/9/1954 Built as East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railway #419. Became Southern #107 in 1894. Sold to the SMRR in 1942 to help with the construction of Douglas Dam. Retired December 9th, 1954. Now on display in Sevierville, Tennessee.
110 4-6-2 Baldwin Locomotive Works 11/1911 12/9/1954 Formerly Little River Railroad #110. Smallest pacific ever built in the world. Sold to the SMRR in 1940. Last steam locomotive to run on the SMRR in December 1954. Abandoned in 1966. Sold to the Little River Railroad in Michigan in 1975 where it's currently operating.
206 2-6-0 Baldwin Locomotive Works 7/1910 12/9/1954 Built as Genesee and Wyoming Railroad #9. Sold to the Brooklyn Cooperage Company in 1918. Sold to the Tennessee & North Carolina Railroad in 1927. Transferred to the SMRR in 1938. Retired December 9th, 1954. Put on display with #107 in 1961. Sold to the Chattanooga Choo Choo in 1973 where it's still on display.
440 44 ton General Electric Unknown Unknown Bought by the SMRR to replace the steam locomotives on December 9th, 1954. Last ran on the SMRR on January 16th, 1961. Currently rusting away in an Industrial Park in Fletcher, North Carolina.

References

  1. ↑ William Robert Rogers, "A History of the Smoky Mountain Railroad," East Tennessee Historical Society Publications, Vol. 44 (1972), pp. 72-75.
  2. ↑ Smoky Mountain Railway Map
  3. 1 2 Smoky Mountain Railway
  4. ↑ Steam Locomotive Information
  5. ↑ Steam Locomotive Information
  6. ↑ Steam Locomotive Information
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