Hiwassee Loop Excursion April 9, 2016

Hiwassee Loop Excursion train climbs up the Hiwassee Loop on a windy spring afternoon. After switching the locomotive around on a side track at Farner, TN the train returns back down the Hiwassee Loop. The Hiwassee Loop was built in 1898 to replace a set of switchbacks that had become a problem for the railroad owners. The loop was designed by civil engineer T. A. Aber to assist in the 426 ft elevation rise from the Hiwassee River Gorge to the plateau at Farner, TN. This line was known as the Hook and Eye line and was the main line from Knoxville, TN to Atlanta, GA until being replaced by a less mountainous route. Modern era owners were the L&N Railroad and CSX Transportation. CSX sold the Tennessee section to Glenn Springs Holdings in 2001. The Tennessee Valley Railroad leases the line and today it is used mostly for passenger excursions.