Elkhorn City in Pike County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)

Elkhorn City’s Railroads

Elkhorn City’s Railroad Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by J. J. Prats, October 16, 2015

1. Elkhorn City’s Railroad Marker

Inscription. Two major railroads, C&O from north and Clinchfield from south, connected at Elkhorn City, Feb. 8, 1915, opening up trade from Ohio Valley to South Atlantic Region. Elkhorn City became important railroad town. Trains went through several times a day transporting goods from north and south and coal and timber from surrounding area.

Erected 2003 by Elkhorn City Area Heritage Council, Inc., Kentucky Historical Society and Kentucky Department of Highways. (Marker Number 2130.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the Kentucky Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1915.

Location. 37° 18.351′ N, 82° 21.115′ W. Marker is in Elkhorn City, Kentucky, in Pike County. It is on Pine Street east of Elkhorn Street (Kentucky Route 80), on the left when traveling east. It is at the end of the street at the Elkhorn City Railroad Museum. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Elkhorn City KY 41522, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Eastern Kentucky. It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles

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of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Daniel Boone's First Steps in Kentucky (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); William Ramey (about 700 feet away); Richard Potter (approx. 0.4 miles away); Russell Fork Overlook (approx. 1.7 miles away); Known But to God (approx. 2.2 miles away); Clinchfield Overlook (approx. 2.9 miles away in Virginia); The Name Breaks (approx. 3 miles away in Virginia); Early Settlement (approx. 3.4 miles away in Virginia). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Elkhorn City.

Regarding Elkhorn City’s Railroads. Elkhorn City was the northern terminus of the Clinchfield Railroad, and the southern terminus of Chesapeake and Ohio Railway's Big Sandy Subdivision.

Also see . . .
1. Clinchfield Map and Timetables - From December 1925 Official Guide of the Railways. “Pullman Parlor-Buffet Car Service is operated on Trains Nos. 37 and 38 between Spartanburg, S.C. and Elkhorn City, Ky.”, a 12 hour ride for the full 277 miles. The other two trains on the Clinchfield main line were Nos. 36 and 39 to and from Erwin TN.

Connections Footnotes: (1) Elkhorn City, Ky.: No. 36 will wait 20 minutes for C&O No. 36. (2) St. Paul, Va.: No. 36

Elkhorn City’s Railroad Museum and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by J. J. Prats, October 16, 2015

2. Elkhorn City’s Railroad Museum and Marker

and 38 will wait 10 minutes for N&W No 6 and No. 12 respectively, and No. 39 will wait 15 minutes for N&W No. 5. (4) Speer’s Ferry, Va.: No. 39 will wait 10 minutes for Southern No. 1, and No. 38 will wait 10 minutes for Southern No. 2. (6) Johnson City, Tn.: No. 37 will wait 10 minutes for Southern No. 3. No. 38 will wait 15 minutes for Southern No. 41. (7) Kona N.C.: No. 38 will wait 10 minutes for Black Mountain connections. (8) Marion, N.C.: No. 37 will wait 15 minutes for Southern No. 22. (10) Bostic, N.C.: No. 37 will wait 15 minutes for Seaboard No. 15. (11) Spartanburg, S.C.: No. 37 will wait 20 minutes for Southern Nos. 2, 9 and 46 and for Charleston & Western Carolina No. 1 (13) Carbo, Va.: No. 29 will wait 20 minutes for N&W No. 12, and No. 31 will wait 20 minutes for N&W Nos. 11 and 6. (Submitted on October 20, 2015.)

2. The Story of the Elkhorn City Railroad Museum. The Elkhorn City Railroad Museum started in the early 1990's. The museum was a brain child of Edward "Chick" Spradlin. Chick was retired from the CRR/CSX, he had about 40 years service, starting on the Clinchfield Railroad about

Today CSX Owns the Tracks Shown to the Left that Pass the Elkhorn City Railroad Museum image. Click for full size.

Photographed by J. J. Prats, October 16, 2015

3. Today CSX Owns the Tracks Shown to the Left that Pass the Elkhorn City Railroad Museum

1947 as clerk. Chick was then appointed Agent/Yardmaster at Elkhorn City in the mid 1960s. He held that position until the big merger and the closing of Elkhorn Yard in April 1981. He then went to Shelby Yard as Assistant Trainmaster until he retired in the mid 1980s. A year or two after retirement, Chick got the idea of the museum and enlisted 3 or 4 other retirees from the CRR and the C&O (Ed Stone, and A.N. Stafford were his main help) and together they started accumulating all the artifacts. The building the museum is housed in was donated by a former coal operator. Chick passed away in June, 1999. (Submitted on October 20, 2015.)

3. Wikipedia Entry for Clinchfield Railroad. “The Clinchfield was the last Class I railroad built in the U.S. east of the Rocky Mountains. The 266-mile railroad provided access to numerous scenic wonders of the Appalachian region and is probably best known for the state-of-the-art railroad engineering techniques applied in its construction, as exemplified by the Clinchfield Loops climbing the Blue Ridge Mountains north of Marion, North Carolina.” (Submitted on October 20, 2015.)

Worn C&O Trainboard Mounted on Museum Wall image. Click for full size.

Photographed by J. J. Prats, October 16, 2015

4. Worn C&O Trainboard Mounted on Museum Wall

Permanently marked are trains Nos. 36 and 39, passenger service between Elkhorn City and Ashland Kentucky, the termini of the Chesapeake and Ohio's Big Sandy Division. On the 1925 timetable, there were eight trains a day between those points, but these two trains were the only ones sporting a buffet and parlor car. Train 36 arrived Elkhorn City at 12:50 PM. Train 39 departed at 2:00 PM for the return trip.

December 1925

5. C&O Big Sandy Division December 1925 Timetables

Timetable shows a 7 hour ride for the full 134 mile trip. Click on image to enlarge.

Map of the Clinchfield Railroad in 1925 image. Click for full size.

December 1925

6. Map of the Clinchfield Railroad in 1925

This December 1925 timetable map excerpt shows the Clinchfield Railroad running north from Spartanburg SC to Elkhorn City. It also shows the continuation north that was the C&O Big Sandy Division running north to Ashland KY.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 3, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 20, 2015, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,089 times since then and 63 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on October 20, 2015, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.