Beaver Dam Railroad
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | August 6, 1900 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Virginia, Tennessee |
| Products | Rail freight and passenger services |
The Beaver Dam Railroad was a short-distance rail line operating across Virginia and Tennessee during the early 1900s, linking Damascus, Virginia with Crandull, Tennessee. Starting in 1918, the railway was gradually discontinued in segments, although some services persisted into the 1920s. Presently, much of its former path corresponds with Tennessee State Route 133.
History
During the late 1800s, the Empire Lumber and Mining Company initiated logging activities in northeastern Tennessee. To facilitate the transport of timber from its sawmill located in Crandull, the Beaver Dam Railroad was established on August 6, 1900. It constructed a line from Crandull to the Tennessee-Virginia state line (approximately ), where it connected with the Virginia-Carolina Railway. Initially, operations between the state border and Damascus, Virginia were managed by Virginia-Carolina Railway. Around this period, the Tennessee Lumber and Manufacturing Company began functioning near Sutherland, Tennessee, utilizing the Beaver Dam Railroad for freight movement.
By 1902, the entire route spanning roughly ten miles between Crandull and Damascus was completed. In 1909, a six-mile extension named the Crandull and Shady Valley Railroad was formed to extend service from Crandull to Shady Valley, Tennessee. This addition was leased and operated as part of Beaver Dam’s system. In 1910, Beaver Dam secured a lease for the Virginia portion from Virginia-Carolina Railway at an annual cost of $300, thereby consolidating control over the entire line.
As timber supplies diminished in the early 1910s, original operators began withdrawing their involvement. By 1918, the Tennessee section was abandoned, leaving only a brief segment in Virginia that served the Smethport Extract Company near Damascus into the following decade. At that stage, Beaver Dam controlled just of main track and of siding but possessed limited rolling stock—only one steam locomotive and a passenger car—and did not own any track infrastructure.
Backbone Rock Tunnel
Constructed in 1901 on the Tennessee segment of the Beaver Dam Railroad, Backbone Rock tunnel was a vital structural feature allowing trains to pass through a rocky cliff face. Measuring merely twenty-two feet in length, it earned local fame as the "shortest tunnel in the world." Initially, its clearance was too low for steam locomotive smokestacks, necessitating manual chiseling to raise its height and permit train passage. Following abandonment of the Tennessee portion of the railroad in 1918, the tunnel was enlarged to accommodate Tennessee State Route 133, which currently runs through it. Nearby recreational facilities and campgrounds within Cherokee National Forest are now maintained by the U.S. Forest Service.
Rolling Stock
| Type | Quantity | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Steam Locomotive | 1 | owned; formerly operated by Norfolk and Western Railway 4-6-0 |
| Passenger Cars | 2 | both owned |
| Freight Cars | 35 | leased from Virginia-Carolina Railway |