Tunnel Creek Railroad Viaduct, Kings Mountain, Kentucky

First constructed in 1877 this viaduct is also known as the “Green River Trestle” or the “South Fork Trestle”. When it was originally constructed it was made out of iron with stone support piers which still remain although I also found the remains of concrete and brick pads! I’m not quite sure what these were used for though.

The original viaduct was replaced in 1930 when the current structure was built out of steel with concrete footings to accommodate the heavier Mikado 2-8-2 locomotives.

The rail line is known as the Cincinnati Southern Railway and leases its use to the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Norfolk Southern. The line runs from Cincinnati, Ohio to Chattanooga, Tennessee. The physical assets of the road were initially financed by the City of Cincinnati in the 1870s and are still owned by the city. It’s the only such long distance railway owned by a municipality in the United States.