The Nashville & Chattanooga, incorporated in 1845 and completed in 1854, ran 151 miles from Nashville to Chattanooga.  The rail route extended southeast from Nashville, briefly dropping into Alabama where it intersected the Memphis & Charleston at the strategic junction of Stevenson, then swung back into Tennessee, continuing eastward to Chattanooga.  The original U-pattern rail laid on longitudinal stringers was replaced by more durable T-rail by the USMRR to accommodate the very heavy rail traffic which supported the Federal advance through Chattanooga and on toward Atlanta.  A major tunnel of strategic military value was located near Cowan.

Branch lines associated with the Nashville & Chattanooga as operated by the USMRR included (1) the Shelbyville branch, which joined the N&C main line at Wartrace, and (2) the McMinnville & Manchester, which joined the N&C at Tullahoma.  Two other antebellum branch lines associated with the N&C--the Winchester & Alabama (to Fayetteville) and the Tennessee Coal & Railroad Co. (to Tracy City) apparently were less actively used by the USMRR.

Due to its strategic location, control of the N&C was sought by both sides during the war.  As the Federal forces gradually extended their control of the line southward toward Chattanooga, ongoing repair and upgrading was necessary due to battle damage as well as the wear and tear of heavy traffic demands.  As suggested by the above photograph, general track conditions were fairly primitive in spite of the new T-rail:  note the rough hewn crossties and dirt ballast.

The enormous trestle (120 feet high and 789 feet long) constructed over Running Water Creek near Whiteside, just west of Chattanooga, involved appreciable engineering effort, and consequently was guarded by armed troops and a substantial blockhouse.  Although USMRR crews erected trestles, bridges, and other railroad structures, actual construction and manning of fortifications fell to other organizational units.

Please click on the link below for a detailed listing of the railroad facilities on the N & C as operated by the USMRR:
 
 

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Last update:  May 2, 2000