Trainwatching Sites
Amqui -- Nesbitt Parkway (April 25, 2003)
Located several miles north of Nashville, Amqui is an important CSX junction, with lines from Cincinnati/Detroit and Chicago meeting to continue south into Nashville. From I-65, exit 92, go east on West Old Hickory Boulevard, go up and over the tracks, and then take a left to go north on US 31E/Gallatin Road. You'll pass Williams/DuPont Avenues (which is described here) and then should take a left on Nesbitt Parkway. Contrary to the name "Parkway", this is a fairly busy, narrow road, and it goes over the junction at grade. While you can see the railroad plant well, the viewing is pretty constricted from both southern quadrants, and everything to the north is clearly railroad property. The Williams Avenue location is better.
Amqui -- Williams Avenue (April 25, 2003)
Located several miles north of Nashville, Amqui is an important CSX junction, with lines from Cincinnati/Detroit and Chicago meeting to continue south into Nashville. From I-65, exit 92, go east on West Old Hickory Boulevard, go up and over the tracks, and then take a left to go north on US31E/Gallatin Road. Take a left onto Williams Avenue. Note that the intersection with Williams and US31E/Gallatin has DuPont Avenue on the east, and Williams Avenue on the west.
The junction itself is several blocks north of you (see the Nesbitt Parkway location) but viewing is much better here. There are clearly visible signals to the north and south, but the ones to the south are pretty far down the line, and you'll probably want to use your binoculars. There is no viewing from the west, but good viewing from both eastern quadrants. You can sit on the storage facility wall on the southeast corner and get good AM shots of southbounds. This is one of the busiest CSX sites in the state.
Chattanooga -- Tiftonia (November 28, 1999)
At the western side of Chattanooga, I-24 and I-59 come together. From that point, go east towards the city, and take Brown's Ferry Road south, reaching the tracks shortly after you cross Lee Highway (US-11/41/etc.). At Wauhatchie Pike, find a place to park, and enjoy the action. This is where CSX trains from points north and west, NS trains from Memphis (on the CSX tracks), and NS trains from Birmingham meet to enter the terminal area. Here, the NS trains from Memphis also leave CSX rails to join home rails. According to John, on both the CSX and NS timetables, this place is delineated as "Wauhatchie."
With many thanks to John Welch for these goodies. We hope to hear much more from him in the future. Visit his CNO&TP site here.
Erwin -- Jonesborough Road Crossings (October 23, 1998)
[Webmaster's Note: This location is only for those too time-constrained to take the Clinchfield tour, which is here.]
From I-181/US-23, take exit 18 into Erwin. This is Jonesborough Road. Practically unique in the entire length of the ex-Clinchfield, the valley which contains the town of Erwin has some "easy" easy photo spots, and you don't need to be a mountain goat or professional photographer to get to them and take advantage of them. Jonesborough Road may be the simplest place on the entire railroad to get good photos. There are two crossings on this road: The one closest to I-181 is the western crossing, and the one farthest from the interstate is the eastern. Arguably, the crossing with the most mainline action is the western, but there is much switching conducted on the eastern, as well as some mainline action.
These two crossings are maybe 80 yards apart, so, if I were going to spend some time there, I'd park in the municipal building's parking lot, which is at the corner of Jonesborough and Main streets, southeast of the eastern track crossing, and walk down to the eastern-most crossing on Jonesborough Road. From there, I'd just use my ears and feet to get me into position for photos. Do not venture south of Jonesborough Road into railroad property. There are plenty of good, off- railroad property locations for photos. Generally, trains do not move real fast through here.
Hixson (November 12, 2000)
This small town is on the NS (ex-CNO&TP) Chattanooga-Cincinnati mainline, and sees upwards of 40 trains a day. From the TN/GA border just east of Chattanooga, go north on I-75, until exit 4, which is TN-153 (this is the Chickamauga Dam exit). Cross the Tennessee River on TN-153, and take your first right, which is Hammill Road. Take Hammill east towards the tracks, cross them, and take an immediate left. There is off-railroad property east of the tracks, and responsible railfans are not bothered. This is primarily a morning location.
With many thanks to John Welch for these goodies. We hope to hear much more from him in the future. Visit his CNO&TP site here.
Knoxville -- Coster (April 28, 2000)
From I-275 in the city, take Heiskell Avenue and go east. You'll cross the northern yard throat of an obvious rail facility. But just what is this place, as it doesn't look like your normal yard? "Once upon a time..." is kind of what the Coster area is. The Southern Railway had a rather good-sized facility here, acting both as a classification yard for local work in the area, and as a car-repair facility. Today, there is still a lot of local business being generated, especially west of I-275, so some cars are about. There is also an active wheel set facility, in a newish pre-fab-type steel building. Apparently, this must be the wheel set activity for at least a very large part of Norfolk Southern. It is not uncommon to see a couple of MP15 switchers here.
Very recently, the perimeter trackage has been taken up, as has a good deal of the interior trackage. The huge car repair shed is vacant, as are most of the buildings. The jewel of the facility is the beautiful building at the south end of the area. I don't know whether this was a passenger station or the headquarters for the Coster Shops area, but it's quite a striking building. It is visible from I-275, but you really need to get down to it to appreciate it. Always check with a railroad employee before you drive into the area. If you tell him that you want to photograph the building at the south end of the shops area, you'll probably be allowed to do so. Take a couple of pix and then leave, but take with you the impressions of what this place must have been like in its hey-day.
Gene Peters, a fellow lucky enough to live just a mile or so from Norfolk Southern's large John Sevier Yard, was kind enough to introduce me to this location.
Update: Anecdotally, in mid 2007 I've been told that Coster is essentially gone. There is nothing left, not even the beautiful building described above.
Knoxville -- NS Downtown Junctions (April 28, 2000)
In the vicinity of the US-441/TN-33 (Broadway/Henley -- same street) and TN-62 (Western Avenue/Summit Hill Drive -- same street), go north on Broadway towards Oak Avenue. On the east side of Broadway is an unmarked street going down to the tracks. Underneath Oak and Broadway is an extensive area of several junctions and tracks. The city and the railroad have done a good job of cleaning up the entire area, and you're probably pretty safe here, but you should always have at least one male friend with you. Do NOT be down here after dark.
If you stay back from the tracks, and remain unobtrusive, you'll not be bothered, but if you run around like an idiot, you'll get a visit from a special agent. A scanner and knowledge of what tracks are going where would help greatly, as this is a fairly complicated area. Trains going down to Alcoa, Chattanooga, in and out of the downtown local yard, etc, can be seen here.
Gene Peters, a fellow lucky enough to live just a mile or so from Norfolk Southern's large John Sevier Yard, was kind enough to introduce me to this location.
Knoxville -- Tyson Park North (April 28, 2000)
Here's a different type of place to see trains -- a family-oriented place. From US-11/US-70/TN-1 (Kingston Pike/Cumberland Avenue -- same street) at the extreme far west edge of the University of Tennessee campus, go north on Concord Street. Just before crossing the tracks, head into Tyson Park, which is on the west side of Concord. Here, there are ball fields, and lots of acres of grass which young children can get out and romp around on. This is a nice place for a picnic.
By the way, the Knoxville - Chattanooga mainline is the set of tracks paralleling the north boundary of the park, and there is a pedestrian walkway over the tracks. While there is the ubiquitous, nasty chain link fencing on top of the walkway, the sides going up the steps offer good photo opportunities, Because this is virtually an east-west track, the sun will be your friend most of the day.
Gene Peters, a fellow lucky enough to live just a mile or so from Norfolk Southern's large John Sevier Yard, was kind enough to introduce me to this location.
There are some great photos that can be taken of both the Norfolk Southern and CSX railroads (which intersect at Willoughby here in Knoxville), in Tyson Park. You do have to exercise caution, because sometimes there are police cruisers parked under the I-40 overpass right across from the park, and on occasions, there are CSX work crews there. (I've never had any problems, just told them I was a railfan taking pics for my Facebook page.) Per William Clark on December 14, 2011
Ooltewah -- Cemetery Road
This location, AKA "Bootleggers Crossing", is one of the best known locations in the southeast. Go north via I-75 from Chattanooga, take exit 11 for US-11/Lee Highway, and go north (compass east). The first light you come to will be Little Debbie Parkway. Take a right, go just a short distance and turn right again on the first road on the right, which is Old Lee Highway. You are now going back towards the interstate. Follow the road back beside the interstate for about 3/4 of a mile.
You'll cross a bridge and then should turn on the first road to the left, which is Ooltewah Cemetery Road. Go up to the top of the hill, and there will be a turn off to the right. Take this turn, and as soon as you do you'll see the double track main line coming up fro Chattanooga. You can turn left on the asphalt drive to your left and park.
Enjoy the parade. The tracks coming from the right send all traffic coming out of NS's Chattanooga DeButts Yard, and the traffic coming down from the ex-CNO&TP line from the north to Atlanta and Knoxville through the wye that is just across the bridge to your left.
Mark McDougal contributed this location to Frograil.