Watts Barr branch: still in place?

[caboose63]

In summer 2003, i came across the out of service NS branch to the Watts Barr nuclear power plant at Watts Barr, Tennessee. It appeared trains had not used the line in what seemed to be a decade. Has this branch been torn up? in spots it looked like the rails had been buried underneath the brush and soil.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Sadly, looks like it's gone. 

Go to http://mapper.acme.com/ 

Then input these Lat./ Long. coords.: N 35 36' 29" W 84 47' 17"

Then compare the "Topo" view with the "Map" and "Hybrid" views (upper right corner).  The USGS topo map shows the rail line and the "STEAM PLANT", with the ""NUCLEAR PLANT" being labeled as "(under construction)", but there's no sign of the rail line in either the "Map" or "Hybrid" views, especially at the grade crossings where the rails would not have been covered up as much, and some pavement markings for the crossing are usually visible as well. 

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[samfp1943]

Paul_D_North_Jr

Sadly, looks like it's gone. 

Go to http://mapper.acme.com/ 

Then input these Lat./ Long. coords.: N 35 36' 29" W 84 47' 17"

Then compare the "Topo" view with the "Map" and "Hybrid" views (upper right corner).  The USGS topo map shows the rail line and the "STEAM PLANT", with the ""NUCLEAR PLANT" being labeled as "(under construction)", but there's no sign of the rail line in either the "Map" or "Hybrid" views, especially at the grade crossings where the rails would not have been covered up as much, and some pavement markings for the crossing are usually visible as well. 

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Phew!         You are bringin back memories.  The rail siding at Watts Bar ( on Clinch River, about half way between Knoxville and Chattanooga) was originally put in place to service the Nuclear Plant (1 reactor) to be constructed there.       TVA started the Construction on the Nuclear Plant some time in the late 1970's. About the middle 1980's she was mothballed by TVA and the anti-nuke sentiments crowd.

    There was a coal fired plant there as well, and it was a mess because of a number of issues around that facility.   I think the Nuclear Plant was finally completed about the middle 1990s, IIRC..

   Within that same time frame of 1970's TVA had started construction of another Nuclear Plant northwest of Iuka Miss. it was at Yellow Creek ( at the point where the Ten-Tom Waterway entered Pickwick Lake on the Tennessee Valley Waterway System.  There was a spur run off the NS ( nee; SR mainline between Corinth and Iuka) TVA  poured a lot of concrete, for foundations for the building construction there, but construction was stopped by the TVA due to the Anti-Nuke sentiment of the time.

  When TVA finally pulled out, the State of Mississippi created an inland Port there at Yellow Creek, with facilities and buildings. I think the railroad (NS) still serves that facility via a short line operator(?).