Description: Mount Mitchell RR Shops Climax at Black Mountain City NC This railway was built by the Dickey & Campbell Lumber Company, to reach the virgin timber in the Black Mountains of Western North Carolina. Construction started in 1911 at Black Mountain City, NC and climbed 21 miles of three foot gauge track up the ridge using sharp curves and nine switchbacks with a maximum grade of 5.25 percent. D&C built a large band mill at Black Mountain City which was served by Southern Railway. The Perley & Crockett Lumber Company (of Williamsport, PA) purchased the mill, railroad and lands of the D&C on November 17, 1913 and rebuilt the mill to handle up to 110,000 feet of lumber a day. There was over 300 million board feet of timber available on their tracts, with Spruce and Balsam being the most important. Around 1914 the railroad had climbed to Camp Alice, which was located near the summit of Mount Mitchell. The logging line used two Shays and five Climaxes while the standard gauge mill trackage was switched by an ancient Cooke 0-4-0. Early on, the P&C company found that they could run excursions over their railroad for the paying vacationers who ventured to the mountains during the summer to get away from the hot conditions of the flat lands. These trains operated every summer until 1918, when the war effort, meeting maximum production of Spruce lumber, forced their cancellation. Spruce was used in the manufacturing of fighter planes. The excursions returned in 1919. The State of North Carolina stepped up pressure on the company in an effort to save some of the scenic forest for a state park. P&C stopped lumber cutting in 1920 and sold their railroad and equipment to the Mount Mitchell Scenic Railroad. This railroad had a short life, shutting down after the 1921 season in favor of a toll road. The rails and equipment were sold to nearby logging operations. The toll road was built mostly over the former narrow gauge railroad which was only wide enough for one car. This road had to be operated one way up the mountain in the morning and one way down the mountain in the afternoon. Roster 1 Shay Lima 2512 /1912 36” Gauge New. Sold to Rapides Lumber 1 2 Shay Lima 2568/1912 36” Gauge New. Sold to Natwick Nixon Co. 3 B-35 Climax ? ? 36” Gauge 4 B-42 Climax ? /1913 36” Gauge new to Blackwood Lbr Co., East LaPorte, NC 5 B-42 Climax 1235 1913 36” Gauge new to Suncrest Lbr #4 Sunburst NC, to Blackwood Lbr Co., East LaPorte, NC 6 0-4-0 Cooke 1056/1879 Stnd Gauge used to switch mill 7 Climax 1319 /1914 36” Gauge New. Sold to Blackwood Lbr Co. 8 Climax 1321 /1914 36” Gauge New. Sold to Suncrest Lbr Co. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Track Page Views With Auctiva's Counter
Price: 3.99 USD
Location: Waynesburg, Pennsylvania
End Time: 2024-08-18T20:43:35.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 14 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
