Eastern Railroad Discussion > Status of E&K and S&BV Subs (CSX) in KY

I have been posting photos to a Facebook page that I took while I was working on a Chessie System rail gang from 1983 to '87.  There has been a lot of interest in the photos I took when we were working way up in the coal country of Kentucky in 1983 at Deane, Letcher County, KY.  We laid new rail from the very end of the C&O Sandy and Beaver Valley subdivision where a new connecting track to the Louisville and Nashville E&K subdivision had been built, known as the "Deane Connection."  This was the first new connection between the Family Lines System, which reached here from the valley in the background and Chessie System which is behind me to the right, built under the auspices of the greater CSX Corporation, which owned the separate systems that would eventually join to form today's CSX.  I know that the decline in the coal business, and a major flood, may have damaged portions of the E&K Sub and may not have been rebuilt.  Even with the decline of the coal business, I find it hard to believe that this line may have been severed and not restored.  I know that CSX either sold or donated their yard and engine facility in Ravenna, KY to the Kentucky Steam Heritage organization.  Is it true that the E&K is no longer intact?  How far up does it now reach?

Conversely, what is the status of the old C&O line going northeast to the S&BV sub?  Again, I am sure it is a fraction of the coal business it once had.  Is it still intact and operating? 

They either re-opened this mine and loadout (BethEnergy Hendrix Mine or Mine #22 when I was there) or built a new load out facility nearby, according to Google Maps StreetView.   

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The E&K Sub is out of service from the tunnel in Barwick to just south of the yard in Ravenna with the line washed out in spots and trees growing in the middle of the tracks.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/31/26 09:02 by Dewman45.

All coal flowing out of this region (from say the Typo Mine at Hazard) flows to Martin (across the Rockhouse and EB&V) to connection with the Big Sandy.  The only active mine on the EK is Typo, which is only two miles outside of Hazard.  There is a local business a little farther north at Chavies that gets service and beyond that (at Barwick) its OOS.

For all intents and purposes its OOS from Barwick to Winchester as the only thing that would go to Ravenna would be moves for the museum....

Asheville_G Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> All coal flowing out of this region (from say the
> Typo Mine at Hazard) flows to Martin (across the
> Rockhouse and EB&V) to connection with the Big
> Sandy.  The only active mine on the EK is Typo,
> which is only two miles outside of Hazard.  There
> is a local business a little farther north at
> Chavies that gets service and beyond that (at
> Barwick) its OOS.
>
> For all intents and purposes its OOS from Barwick
> to Winchester as the only thing that would go to
> Ravenna would be moves for the museum....

There were washouts between Ravenna and Winchester that had museum isolated. Those have all been fixed in last few months and supposedly a few safety ties have been put in between Winchester and Ravenna.  Not sure what current excuse is - been trying to get a locomotive out of Revenna for a few months now and it seems their is always an excuse on why they can't go get it. 

<<All coal flowing out of this region (from say the Typo Mine at Hazard) flows to Martin (across the Rockhouse and EB&V) to connection with the Big Sandy...>>

If I understand what you are saying, the track is still active through Deane, with the former L&N portion on this side of the washouts now served from the former C&O side?

Yes

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There was a Delay In Block video on YouTube somewhat recently that covered the washouts with a lot of before and after footage of the line.

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