Little River Railroad (Tennessee) facts for kids
The Little River Railroad was a historic train line that operated in Tennessee from 1901 to 1939. It ran between Maryville and Elkmont, Tennessee. This railroad was very important for moving timber (cut trees) out of the forests in the area.
The Little River Railroad's Story
The Little River Railroad (often called "the LRR") was created on November 21, 1901. It was part of a bigger company called the Little River Lumber Company. Both companies were owned by a man named Colonel W. B. Townsend.
The LRR's main job was to help with logging. The Little River Lumber Company owned more than 76,000 acres of thick forest land. This land was in Blount and Sevier counties. By the time the company stopped working in 1939, it had harvested a massive amount of lumber. They cut down enough trees to make two billion board feet of wood!
The LRR would usually build train tracks into a forest area. Once all the trees were cut down, they would remove the tracks. In total, the LRR built about 150 miles of track. None of these original tracks are still there today.
The railroad used several types of trains. The main logging train was called a Shay engine. They also used other types like the 4-6-2 Pacific and the first 2-4-4-2 Mallet articulated engines. The LRR even had a special rail bus. Colonel W.B. Townsend had his own private rail car too.
In 1925, Colonel Townsend made an important agreement. He decided to sell all the land owned by the Little River Lumber Company. He sold it to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for $273,557. This was about $3.58 for each acre. This sale was a big step in creating the national park we know today. The agreement allowed the lumber company to keep logging in the park area until 1938. The Little River Railroad finally stopped running in 1939.
Today, you can visit the Little River Lumber Co & Railroad Museum. It is located in Townsend, Tennessee. The museum helps keep the history of the LRR alive.
Where the Trains Ran
The Little River Railroad had a main line that started in Maryville. It went through towns like Walland and Sunshine. Then it reached Townsend. Today, the path of the LRR roughly follows US 321 and TN 73. Townsend was where the Little River Lumber Company had its big sawmill.
The main train line continued to a place called the Townsend Y. This is where the Little River splits into two parts. One branch of the railroad went west to Tremont. This was a small community where loggers lived. The other branch went east to Elkmont. Elkmont was a larger logging town and also a popular place for people to visit for fun.
Even though the tracks are gone, you can still see where the LRR used to be. The old railroad bed now winds along the Little River from Townsend to Elkmont. This path is now called the Little River Gorge Road or TN 73. Inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, many walking trails exist because of the LRR. Most of the "Quiet Walkways" in the park were once part of the LRR's old train paths.
