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Abandoned NC&STL Railway
Route Between Memphis, Jackson & Bruceton
and Perryville Branch
Tennessee Midland Railroad History
On December 29, 1886, the Tennessee Midland Railway received a charter to build a
railroad from Memphis to the Virginia state line. It constructed 135.6 miles of
track during the years from 1887-1889 to connect Memphis to the Tennessee River
at Perryville where it ended. The line from Memphis to Jackson was completed on
June 1, 1888. The first passenger train to travel to Jackson from Memphis was on
June 1, 1888. The TMR line from Memphis to Jackson was the forerunner of the
Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis Railway. This line was often referred to
as the “NC” by locals. The 111.5-mile line between Memphis and Lexington was
called the Memphis Branch. The 24.1-mile Perryville Branch between Lexington and
Perryville known locally as the "Pea Vine". The first train pulled into Parsons
on Perryville Branch on June 30, 1889. It consisted of six coaches: two
passenger cars, a baggage car and three freight cars. In 1893, the Tennessee
Midland went into receivership and was sold at foreclosure to the Louisville
& Nashville Railroad. The L&N in turn leased the entire line from
Paducah via Lexington to Memphis to its subsidiary, the NC&STL Railway. The
last run of the “Pea Vine” was on October 31, 1936. On January 11, 1966, the
L&N applied to the Interstate Commerce Commission for permission to abandon
the 61.9-mile line between Cordova and Burkitt. The track was scrapped in 1968.
The lower part of Jackson Branch between Rose Hill and Lexington entailed
advising the Interstate Commerce Commission that the railroad would abandon the
23.1-mile line effective December 30, 1981. The track was scrapped around 1985.
On August 24, 2001, CSXT filed with the Surface Transportation Board a petition
for exemption to abandon a 13.34-mile line of railroad between Aulon and Cordova
(the entire Cordova Branch). The track was scrapped in June 2008. Today what
remains of the Tennessee Midland Railroad 6.8-mile track between Burkitt and
Rose Hill is now used to deliver goods to Jackson's east and west industrial
parks.
The
5.6-mile track between Memphis and Aulon is in use today as the main lines of
CSXT and Union Pacific intermodal railroads.
This webpage designed by Eric C. Fleet. If you have materials that you would like to contribute, contact me at ericfleet@ncstl.com.
