The Blue Ridge Railway was a 19th-century railroad in the U.S. state of

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

. It was originally chartered in 1852 as the Blue Ridge Railroad of South Carolina. Original plans were for a 195-mile line from

Anderson, South Carolina Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 28,106 at the 2020 census, making it the 16th-most populous city in South Carolina. It is one of the principal cities in the Gree ...

, to

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...

going through the mountains with as many as 13 tunnels including the incomplete Stumphouse Mountain Tunnel. By 1859, the railroad had built between Anderson and

West Union, South Carolina West Union is a town in Oconee County, South Carolina, United States. Although its name suggests that it is near Union, they are approximately four counties apart. The population was 291 at the 2010 census. Geography West Union is located at ...

and substantial work on several tunnels had started. However, with the outbreak of the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, no further work was ever completed on the tunnels despite efforts after the war, including one by the Black Diamond Railroad. A final extension from West Union to

Walhalla, South Carolina Walhalla is a city in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Oconee County, South Carolina, United States. Designated in 1868 as the county seat, it lies within the area of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, an area of transition between mountains a ...

at the urging of the Town Council and local citizens saw the first train arrive November 14, 1877, but no more track would ever be laid along the alignment up Stumphouse Mountain. In 1880, the Columbia and Greenville Railroad acquired the of track that had been laid. In 1901 the Southern Railway, successor to the Columbia and Greenville, split out the line as the Blue Ridge Railway. The Southern leased the Blue Ridge to subsidiary

Carolina and Northwestern Railway The Carolina & Northwestern Railway (Ca&NW) was a railroad that served South Carolina and North Carolina from 1897 until January 1, 1974. The original line was operated by the Ca&NW as a separate railroad controlled by the Southern Railway (U.S.), ...

on July 1, 1951, and eventually merged the company. Passenger service from

Belton, South Carolina Belton is a city in eastern Anderson County, South Carolina. The population was 4,134 at the 2010 census. History In 1845 a group was created to connect the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region of South Carolina by rail to the existing rai ...

, through Anderson to Walhalla ended by the latter part of 1951.

References

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External links

Blue Ridge Railroad history
* at Stumphouse Tunnel Park and Issaqueena Falls in Oconee County, South Carolina Defunct South Carolina railroads Predecessors of the Southern Railway (U.S.) Railway companies established in 1901 American companies established in 1901 {{US-rail-company-stub