Over the Clinchfield one last run

[samfp1943]

Scrolling through some of the Threads currently posted here; several are about CSX and the Clinchfield. Santa and his Christmas Train that has run for something on the order of 75 years brings christmas Cheer to a region of its Appalachian territory. And of course, stories about the current CEO of CSX Corp, and what he is doing to, and will do to the railroads gathered under the banner of the CSX...

  A name that now seems to be a meaningless aglomeration of random letters.

 I came across a story about a couple of long term CRR employees from a couple of years past that lays out what was to become of their employer railroad at that time. The following Editor's note sets the scene. 

  It is linked here @ http://www.mcdowellnews.com/news/the-last-run-csx-engineer-describes-final-ride-through-mcdowell/article_9333f784-79c0-11e5-b7dc-a3b0d6d01bcc.html

"The last run: CSX engineer describes final ride through McDowell"

• By JOE BARR CSX Railroad engineer
• Oct 24, 2015
• FTA:"...Editor’s note: On Thursday, Oct. 15,[2015] CSX announced it would close its railroad facilities in Erwin, Tenn. and reroute trains through other rail lines in the company’s system. This move by CSX affected the jobs of approximately 300 contract and management employees who work at Erwin’s rail yard and facilities. It also meant that the number of trains traveling on CSX’s old Clinchfield rail line would be greatly reduced or possibly eliminated altogether. Engineer Joe Barr, 43, of Erwin, Tenn. is one of those affected employees. In his more than 21 years with CSX, he spent 15 as an engineer on the trains traveling from Erwin, Tenn, to Spartanburg S.C. and back. Some weeks, he would make that run every day, which took him through the middle of McDowell County. Some weeks, he may have missed a day or two. During that time, he got to travel through this region and McDowell County in a way that very few people get to do. In this poignant article, Barr describes his feelings as he makes his last run out of Erwin, Tenn. on this beloved railroad which ran through the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains and McDowell County..."

[Last Paragraph of story]    FTA: "...We sat in silence both of us trying miserably to hold back tears as he ran them at 50 mph through Thermal and on to Tate where you hit a pretty good size dip called "Panic Dip” I finally spoke and said “When I started running I always feared this spot", He said, “yea, I think they named it appropriately”, with a little bit of a chuckle, I had to lightly give a laugh too. He ran them like a champ through the dip right on 50, like he has done numerous times in his tenure on the Clinchfield. He finally spoke up once we were by “Dairy Farm” and said, “Thanks man, you can take them back now." I patted him on the back. We both sat down and continued in silence, I couldn’t dare look at him; the emotions were just too much..."

[Miningman]

Nice story.