Greetings everyone,

I don’t want to ramble too much in this post because I want the accompanying photographs to steal the show. These are some of the most fascinating railroad images I have come across, documenting an excursion over one of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad’s most scenic routes in the mountains of Eastern Tennessee.

According to the original slides, these photographs were taken on 30 May 1961, during what was simply labeled the “L&N Fan Trip.” While the departure point is not identified, it was most likely either Etowah or Knoxville, Tennessee. The excursion’s destination, however, is well documented: the historic copper mining boom town of Copperhill, Tennessee.

As the train traversed the mountainous terrain, numerous stops were made to allow passengers to photograph some of the line’s most notable landmarks. Among the highlights captured in these slides are the Hiwassee Loop, (also known as the “eye” of the “Hook and Eye”), and industrial operations at the Tennessee Copper Company in Copperhill. One particularly interesting photograph depicts the Appalachia Dam, which is located in North Carolina. Despite this, the image was taken from the train while it remained entirely within Tennessee, illustrating just how closely the Old Line parallels the Tennessee–North Carolina state line.

By 1961, regular passenger train service over the Old Line was nonexistent, making excursions such as this increasingly special. The route remained a favorite among rail enthusiasts because of its dramatic mountain scenery, rich heritage, and remarkable engineering, particularly the Hiwassee Loop, where the tracks gain elevation by crossing over themselves within the surrounding mountains. More will be written about this history in a later post.

Please enjoy these striking photos!

Best,

Craig