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Bristol Coal and Iron Narrow Gauge Railroad

The Bristol Coal & Iron Narrow Gauge Railroad, chartered in 1876, was an early railway project designed to navigate southwestern Virginia’s rugged terrain to reach vital coal and iron deposits. Despite its charter, no construction was ‘completed’ under the BC&ING name. In 1882, the enterprise was rechartered as the South Atlantic & Ohio (SA&O) Railway.

The SA&O was the entity that actually finishing the construction on the line. A limited segment north of Bristol started operation in 1884, with eventual extensions to Moccasin Gap and Big Stone Gap. This initial failure of construction by its founding company before a recharter and merger is a testament to the high cost and difficulty of building railroads through the mountainous region.

The SA&O eventually became part of the Virginia & Southwestern Railway in 1898, and later part of the larger Southern Railway system. While parts of the original route were later abandoned, portions of the line remain in use today, with some sections now forming the Mendota Trail.

Bristol Coal & Iron Railroad Stats

• Founded/Chartered: 1876 Operated: 1890 – Present (Leased/Operated by Norfolk Southern)
• Predecessor: Virginia & Kentucky Railroad
• Abbreviation: BC&I
• Initial Planned Route: Bristol/Abingdon VA to Big Stone Gap to Cumberland Gap VA
• Final Length: 92 Miles to St. Charles VA
• Constructed: 1876 -1882 as the BC&I, 1882-1890 as the SA&O. Operation began in 1884 on a limited segment north out of Bristol.
• Headquarters: Bristol
• Cities: Bristol, Hiltons, Mendota, Gate City, Big Stone Gap, Appalachia, St. Charles
• Key Individuals: H.C. Woods and M.B. Woods
• Successor: South Atlantic & Ohio. BC&ING was rechartered as the SA&O in 1882. Became the Virginia & Southwestern Railway in 1898.
• Today: Southern Railway, Norfolk Southern Railway. The segment from Bristol to Moccasin Gap was abandoned. The eastern segment from Bristol to Mendota is now the Mendota Trail.

More Southern Railway information will be added to this page and others in the days ahead. Please let me know if you have any edits that should be made or any content you are willing to share by utilizing the comment form below. Would enjoy hearing from you if you have similar interests in the railroads, the region, or model railroading.

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Southern-Railroads.org Sources and Resources

The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the Southern Railway and its predecessors. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Southern-Railroads.org. Much of the content on the website is verified across multiple sources.

3Cs Websites

Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org