Tennessee Central Railway Bridge

Bordeaux Railroad Bridge

The Bordeaux Railroad Bridge was constructed for the Tennessee Central Railway over the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tennessee.

History

The Tennessee Central included several predecessors including the Nashville & Knoxville Railway (N&K) which was completed from Lebanon to Standing Stone (now Monterey), and the Tennessee & Pacific Railway (T&P), which had been finished between Nashville and Lebanon. In 1893, entrepreneur Jere Baxter acquired the N&K and the T&P, among other lines, to form the Tennessee Central Railway (TC). 1 2

The TC was never very successful, falling into receivership in 1897. By 1900, the railroad connected with the Southern Railway (CNO&TP) at Emory Gap, providing a critical northern connection for the shipment of Tennessee minerals to northern markets. 1 It was followed by an 83-mile extension between Nashville northwest to Hopkinsville, Kentucky that was completed in 1904. 2 The extension included the construction of a polygonal Warren through truss with a central swing span over the Cumberland River.

The TC once again went into receivership in 1912, operating in technical insolvency for ten years until a group of investors bought the railroad at a bankruptcy sale. In excessive debt, the TC sold its beltline route around Nashville to the state in 1965 for the construction of an interstate highway. In 1968, abandonment filings for the TC that led to the line being sold between three regional railroad companies in May: 2

  • The Illinois Central Railroad (IC) acquired the Hopkinsville and Nashville segment for $600,000;
  • The Louisville & Nashville Railroad acquired the Nashville and Crossville segment for $525,000;
  • The Southern Railway acquired the Crossville and Harriman segment for $340,000;

Never very profitable, the IC abandoned the TC between Fort Campbell north of Clarksville and Ashland City in 1971, with the segment from Ashland to Gravelotte later placed out of service. 2 The remainder of the line from the Cumberland River bridge to Gravelotte is today operated as the Nashville & Western Line by RJ Corman.

Gallery

Information

  • State: Tennessee
  • Route: RJ Corman
  • Type: Swing Truss, Warren Through Truss
  • Status: Active - Railroad
  • Total Length: 1,888 feet
  • Main Span Length: 296 feet
  • Spans:
  • Navigational Clearance:

Sources

  1. Hicks, J. Allen. “A Brief History of the Tennessee Central Railway Company.” TC Railway Museum.
  2. “The Tennessee Central Railway.” Abandoned Rails. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.

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