KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association is the new owner of a 43-mile rail line that runs through the Hiwassee River gorge between Etowah to Copperhill, the Knoxville News Sentinel reported.
The association acquired the rail line – commonly known as the Old Line Railroad – through a $1.6 million loan from Glenn Springs Holdings Inc., a company that is currently involved in environmental cleanup activities in the Copper Basin.
Linda Caldwell, executive director of the Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association, said the Old Line Railroad hopefully would be used for hauling freight and providing sightseeing excursions through the scenic Hiwassee River gorge.
“Without Glenn Springs Holdings, this would not have been possible,” Caldwell said. “It’s not often in dealing with rural counties that you find a corporate partner willing to come to the table and risk $1.6 million.”
Built in 1890 by Knoxville Southern Railroad, the Old Line played a vital role in the industrial development of Polk County’s Copper Basin. In 2000, CSX, the rail line’s owner, filed for abandonment after the line’s only customer stopped producing sulfuric acid at its Copperhill plant.
About 25 miles of the Old Line’s middle section passes through the Cherokee National Forest.
One of the Old Line’s best-known features is the Bald Mountain Loop, an 8,000-foot section of track that rises 426 feet as it curves around the dome-shaped top of Bald Mountain between the former railroad stations of Farner and Apalachia.
Built in 1898 by L&N official T.A. Aber, the loop’s construction eliminated a time-consuming switchback and helped open north and southbound traffic between Knoxville and Atlanta. It’s considered to be the third-longest railroad loop in the world.
While CSX sold the track, bridges and other fixtures along the Old Line, the company donated the property corridor valued at an estimated $1.45 million.
The Old Line Coalition, a group of business and government leaders from Polk and McMinn counties, is in the process of identifying potential shippers and coordinating scenic excursions.
Caldwell said that if the Old Line does not operate successfully as a commercial freight line and scenic excursion, the corridor would become a Rail-To-Trails greenway linking Etowah and Copperhill.
The Old Line Coalition is working to create a rail authority that will ultimately oversee the operations and maintenance of the Old Line.
Organizers of the rail purchase say they had hoped to secure $750,000 in federal funding through the Tennessee Department of Transportation for facility improvements along the rail line.
That request, however, won’t be reviewed until 2003 for possible funding in 2004.
Beth Jones of the Southeast Tennessee Development District said the lack of funding has postponed immediate plans for resuming railroad operations and planning for passenger excursions.
“On behalf of the local governments, my agency will continue to pursue potential funding sources in an effort to capitalize on this tremendous economic development opportunity,” Jones said.