Graham County

Company History: After nine years of false starts, in 1925 the Graham County Railroad completed a 12 mile line between a connection with Southern Railway’s Murphy Branch and the town of Robbinsville in western North Carolina. The interchange with Southern consisted of a 2 track yard clinging to the side of scenic Nantahala Gorge. For most of its history, this was an all-Shay powered railroad. The mainline followed Talula Creek and had grades as steep as 5%. The railroad was owned by the Bemis Lumber Company who had a large sawmill just southwest of Robbinsville. By the mid-60s, the Graham County had become a popular destination for railfans wanting to see the Shays in action in freight service. The railroad teamed up with the National Park Service and opened a tourist train business later named the Bear Creek Scenic Railroad.

Freight service ended in 1970 but the tourist trains persisted until 1971 when the railroad closed. It remained idle for two years before being resurrected by a new owner with tourist service and freight service as far as Bear Creek. The following year, the rest of the railroad was reopened. This time, the Shays received some help in the form of a GE 70 ton diesel switcher – the GC’s first ever diesel. In addition to the forest products business, GC also served an oil dealer and a Burlington Industries furniture factory.

Severe flooding in 1975 knocked out two bridges on the mainline. GC continued to operate on the remaining portion for another two months and then shut down for a second time. This time, it sat idle for 7 years before starting up again in 1982. It ran for two years and then closed for good. The Graham County Railroad was formally abandoned in 1987.

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