Map shows Cincinnati Southern and Western and Atlantic lines coming together at Boyce Station in East Chattanooga
Work on the Cincinnati Southern Railway bridge
Cincinnati Southern Railway bridge under construction over the Tennessee River
Island above the Cincinnati Southern bridge
The Chickamauga Dam was built just above the Cincinnati Southern river bridge
Boyce Station
Depot at Spring City is one of the most handsome stations along the Cincinnati Southern line
Train headed for Cincinnati crosses the Tennessee River
photo by Pat Wilson
Some of the original trestle piers are still in place on the Cincinnati Southern Railroad bridge
photo by Wes Schultz
Cincinnati Southern trestle over Amnicola Highway is just north of Chattanooga State
photo by Wes Schultz
Cincinnati Southern line approaches bridge at Wilder Street where the old Boyce Station was located
photo by John Wilson
Railroad bridge at Wilder Street with Billy Goat Hill in the background
photo by John Wilson
Western and Atlantic line pulls away from the Cincinnati Southern toward crossings of South Chickamauga Creek. Cincinnati Southern is across the quarry and headed for the Tennessee River and the Queen City.
photo by John Wilson
Cincinnati Southern and Western and Atlantic tracks headed toward town
photo by John Wilson
A railroad linking Chattanooga with Cincinnati was assured when the Cincinnati City Council on June 4, 1869, adopted a resolution designating Chattanooga as the southern terminus of the Cincinnati Southern Railway. The city's chief competitor had been Knoxville.
Later in the month, the city of Cincinnati approved $10 million in bonds to build the railway. Most of the money came from Cincinnati, but Chattanooga citizens did vote 923 to 64 in 1873 to subscribe $10,000 to the line. Near the end of the construction, Chattanooga citizens raised another $100,000 for the railroad project.
Excavation work started in 1873. Convicts were among those working on the line near Chattanooga.
The last spike was driven into place on Dec. 11, 1879, in Robbins Tunnel in Scott County.
It was Feb. 21, 1880, when the first freight train arrived in Chattanooga from Cincinnati. The first passenger train completed the 336-mile trip on March 8, 1880. The governor of Ohio was among the dignitaries arriving in Chattanooga for festivities.
The Cincinnati Southern's Tennessee River Bridge in Chattanooga was condemned as unsafe in August 1919. For several months traffic had to be routed into town on Chattanooga Traction lines through Red Bank.
The line comes in from Dayton, Sale Creek and Soddy Daisy before arriving at the Tennessee River just below where the Chickamauga Dam was built. Some of the original stone piers still help support the lengthy railroad bridge below the dam.
It crosses Amnicola Highway on a trestle near the present Chattanooga State Community College. It then goes near the old Kings Point community before a crossing of South Chickamauga Creek..
The track gets closer and closer to the old Western and Atlantic line coming in from around the north end of Missionary Ridge, Then they meet near Billy Goat Hill at the site of the old Boyce station in East Chattanooga. This was near Wilder and Roanoke streets.
The Cincinnati Southern then shared the W&A line on into downtown Chattanooga before later building its own track along the same path.
The city of Cincinnati still owns the railroad, which is leased to the Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific Railway. Though millions in additional bonds had to be issued for the construction of the line, it has proven to be a moneymaker for Cincinnati and still supports some of its capital projects.
There is an iron bridge over the wide array of freight tracks at Wilder Street. The handsome Boyce station is long gone.