Interstate Railroad – INT

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Interstate Railroad

Interstate Railroad

Photo: Interstate Railroad company photographer Hank Stuart, Jr. captured this image of an eastbound Hill Run rolling through Tacoma, Virginia in October 1954. Interstate RS3 #38 and a sister lead a train of interchange bound for Miller Yard and the Clinchfield. From the collection of Ron Flanary.

Contrary to its name, the Interstate Railroad (INT) was a vital 88-mile coal-hauling short line located only in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. Chartered in 1896 by the Virginia Coal and Iron Company (VC&I), it was designed primarily to transport coking coal from the mines of Wise County to major national rail interchanges.

Key Routes and Infrastructure

Headquartered in Andover, Virginia, the railroad’s network followed the natural valleys of the Guest and Powell Rivers. Its operations were concentrated around several key hubs:

  • Andover: The site of the main rail yard and maintenance shops.
  • Appalachia: A critical junction where the Interstate connected with the Southern Railway and the Louisville and Nashville (L&N) Railroad.
  • Norton: A major interchange point with the Norfolk and Western (N&W) and L&N.
  • Miller Yard: The eastern terminus established in 1923, which provided a connection to the Clinchfield Railroad.

Operational History

Though small, the Interstate Railroad was highly profitable due to its strategic position and savvy management of per-diem charges. By quickly moving foreign railcars off its lines and keeping its own hopper fleet on other railroads, the company generated consistent revenue even during periods of economic fluctuation.

During the mid-20th century, the L&N utilized trackage rights over the Interstate’s “Guest River Extension” to bypass difficult terrain. This led to a unique 38-year arrangement (1935–1973) where Interstate “Hill Crews” handled L&N coal loads bound for the Clinchfield at Miller Yard.

Acquisition and Legacy

In 1961, the Southern Railway purchased the Interstate Railroad to consolidate its coal-gathering operations in the region. Following the 1982 merger that created Norfolk Southern (NS), the Interstate was fully integrated into the larger corporation’s operations and officially ceased to exist as a separate entity on October 31, 1985.

Today, the Interstate’s legacy survives through the Norfolk Southern rail lines that still serve the coalfields. Additionally, segments of its abandoned branches have been repurposed for public use, such as the Guest River Gorge Trail

Interstate Memories by Ron Flanary

The first shot is USRA-design Mallet No. 21, one of two the line purchased in the mid-20s to handle traffic on the new connection to the Clinchfield at Miller Yard, Va. I’m guessing this was in the late 40s, after a shopping at Southern Railway’s steam shop at Coster (Knoxville).

Interstate Railroad

The diesel shot is No. 37, which was actually the first purchased by the railroad in 1953. Alco won an order for eight of these units, but this one had been on the property for a time as demonstrator No. 1607. It was dark blue (solid) and was nicknamed the “Blue Goose”–most likely because of the “honk” of its single-note air horn. When the order was placed, Interstate shopmen refurbished and modified the demonstrator in the shop at Andover under supervision of Alco technicians. Dynamic braking was installed, along with MU capability, and of course, final painting in the scheme applied on units 30-36, built new at Alco’s plant in Schenectady, N.Y. The photo was likely taken by Interstate’s assistant to the president, Hank Stuart, who was the short line’s unofficial photographer.

Interstate Railroad

The last shot is one of mine taken on the evening of April 25, 2012. NS had agreed to paint one of the 20 “heritage” units in Interstate colors, and 8105 (a GE ES44AC) was the recipient of the distinctive paint scheme. The engine had just completed its initial road trip from the paint shop in Chattanooga, through Knoxville, and finally to Andover that night. I was the only photographer on site that night to record what was a “homecoming” of sorts.

Interstate Stats

  • Reporting Mark: INT | IRR
  • Chartered: 1896
  • Began Operation: 1909
  • Length: 88 miles
  • Headquarters: Andover VA
  • Primary Cities: Appalachia and Norton VA
  • Primary Freight: Coal
  • Passenger Service: Yes
  • Successor: Purchased by Southern Railway in 1961

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