Newport Branch Line

The Newport Branch Line is a branch line connecting the Knoxville & Asheville Railroad's Del Rio Division. It ran from Cosby, Tennessee to Wilsonville, Tennessee, with a connection with the Southern Railway at Newport.

History
The line was chartered in 1908 originally as the Newport, Middle Creek & Cosby Railroad Company as a connecting railroad to connect the Southern Railway with the Knoxville & Asheville Railroad. Construction began in 1909 with 2 second hand locomotives purchased from the Southern Railway with construction completed in 1910 with engine #1 pulling the first train. It its first years, the railroad was relatively a financial success, resulting in the purchased of a brand new locomotive straight from the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1915. However After World War 1, business began to drop dramatically. It was so bad that the railroad had to rely on engine #3 as their primary motive power whilst the other two engines were put into reserve service. Engine #2 was scrapped in 1924.

In 1927, the Newport, Middle Creek & Cosby Railroad was taken over by the Tennessee & North Carolina Railroad, who also took over the Knoxville, Sevierville & Eastern Railroad and renamed it the Smoky Mountain Railroad. The T&NC hoped to bring the failing NMC&C out of its gloomy state and turn it into a financial success. But things were about to change.

On October 16th, 1929, the stock market crashed. Thus beginning the downfall of the little shortline. As the 1930s rolled on, the lumber traffic began to dry up and by 1937, the T&NC filed for bankruptcy. Around that time, a local businessman, in hopes to bring employment to the local area. Convinced the T&NC to buy the NMC&C, in which they agreed. The new owner, Reginald McKensie, named the line, the Newport & Southern Railroad. For once in its life, the line began to turn a buck.

Because of this, the railroad managed to buy two more locomtives, a former NC&StL 4-6-0 from the bankrupt Nashville & Atlantic Railroad in 1939, and a brand new General Electric 44 ton diesel switcher in 1940. When the U.S. entered World War II following the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, the U.S. Army took control of the line to serve as a training facility of the 792nd Railway Operating Battalion. After the war, the line's finances were in tatters and with worn out track, locomotives, and rolling stock, the line had to declare bankruptcy. The line was put up for auction and the Knoxville & Asheville Railroad outbid the Southern Railway by $5.00. Engine #3 was renumbered as the K&A's #5 and named "Rufus" and 44 ton diesel #5 was renumbered to the K&A's #8 and named "Mikey". Engine #4 "Wren" was too out to be of any use and was retired in 1948.

The K&A continued to use the line as their Newport Branch well into the 1950s. However dark times loomed overhead. In the late 1950s, road traffic began to take business away from the little branch line. It became so bad that even the local passenger service was discontinued and the branch's only combination passenger car was used as a caboose, just in case there was a paying customer.

In July 1962, engine #5 "Rufus" was retired from a 47 year working career whilst diesel #8 "Mikey" handled the traffic. By 1970, traffic on the branch line was at an all time low. During the Oil Crisis of 1973 - 1974, engine #5 "Rufus" was temporarily re-commissioned into service whilst diesel #8 was placed in storage until the oil crisis was over. But by this time, traffic on the little branch line was at an all time low with trains only running once a day. Finally in 1976, the branch line shut down. Now today, the rails are still in place, but the track is heavily overgrown with weeds.