The Cincinnati-owned and financed Cincinnati Southern began operations at King’s Mountain, Kentucky, and extended north to Cincinnati and south to Chattanooga, Tennessee. It is part of the Norfolk Southern line today.
History
In 1873, Cincinnati-owned and financed Cincinnati Southern began operations at King’s Mountain, Kentucky.(1) By 1877, it had completed a line north to the Ohio River at Cincinnati. Three years later, it had completed its line south to Chattanooga, Tennessee.
In 1881, the Cincinnati Southern was leased to Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific Railroad (CN&TP). The line was nicknamed “The Rathole” for its 27 tunnels through the Cumberland Mountains between Lexington, Kentucky and Chattanooga.(1) Five years later, the railroad was standard-gauged in just 13 hours.(1)
In 1917, the Cincinnati Southern was controlled by the Southern Railway, and was known as the “Queen and Crescent” route — or Cincinnati and New Orleans.(1)
Between 1928 and 1933, the construction of Cincinnati Union Terminal (CUT) caused the Gest Street Yard, Southern’s Cincinnati terminal in the Mill Creek valley, to be remodeled.(1)
In 1970, all CNO&TP stock was purchased by Southern Railway. The line became known as the Southern Railway Western Division in 1972, and was purchased by Norfolk Southern seven years later.(1)
Gallery
Sources
- Tipton, Rick. “The PRR in Cincinnati.” The Pennsylvania Railroad in Cincinnati. By Rick Tipton and Chuck Blardone. Altoona: Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society, 2004. 3-103.
No comments yet.