Episode 40 (1 of 3) ~ SHAPING THE RAILS ~ Rebuilding the Clinchfield Railroad Series

Let me know in the comments what you would like to see this channel mold into after Sunday!

Showing the good, the bad, and the ugly...with a touch of humor and entertainment. I am a one man band unaffiliated with any company. I have been solely documenting the famed Clinchfield Railroad rebuild since day one.

To pitch in on this endeavor, the below link is a safe and secure way to do so. Any amount can be entered and any amount is appreciated...it will go straight to supporting expenses.
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Send anything via USPS:
Designs in Orbit
PO BOX 130
BAKERSVILLE, NC 28705-7491
(Our post office was destroyed so FYI- this PO BOX is checked once a month so you may not hear from me right away with a big thank you)

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Link to our Blue Ridge Subdivision interactive map:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/vie...

Learn all about the history of the Clinchfield here: https://www.clinchfield.org/clinchfie...

Link to Rebuilding the Clinchfield Railroad SERIES:
   • Rebuilding the Clinchfield Railroad  

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The Clinchfield Railroad, officially known as the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway (CC&O), was one of the most legendary and ambitious railroad projects in the United States. Built to conquer the rugged terrain of the Appalachian Mountains, this route carved a lifeline through some of the most treacherous terrain in the eastern U.S.

✅ Key Facts about the Clinchfield Railroad:

🚆 Completed in 1915, stretching 277 miles from Elkhorn City, Kentucky to Spartanburg, South Carolina.
🛤️ The most famous stretch: the Clinchfield Loops in North Carolina, an engineering marvel designed to conquer the Blue Ridge.
⛏️ Built to haul coal, timber, and raw materials from the Appalachian coalfields to southern markets and ports.
💥 Known for its steep grades, deep tunnels, and massive trestles — including the famous Copper Creek Viaduct and Lick Creek trestle.
🔂 Originally built under George L. Carter, who envisioned it as part of a larger route linking the Ohio River Valley to the Atlantic.
🚧 Known as the “Costly Clinchfield” because of the extraordinary expense required to cut through the mountains.
🌲 Its route passed through remote, isolated communities that had never seen modern transportation before.
⚒️ The railroad was built without federal funding — a rare feat during the era of massive infrastructure expansion.
🧱 Workers used hand tools, dynamite, and mule teams to blast through solid rock and create embankments.
🎥 Today, the Clinchfield is remembered not only for its freight legacy but for the famous Clinchfield Santa Train, a holiday tradition since 1943.

Copyright Disclaimer
© 2025 [Designs in Orbit]. All rights reserved.
This video is part of the "Rebuilding the Clinchfield Railroad" documentary series and is protected under U.S. copyright law. Unauthorized copying, reproduction, distribution, or use of any part of this video — including screenshots, audio, and animations — without written permission is strictly prohibited.

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