Belt Line route to East Chattanooga went straight up at Vine Street from Warner Park
Belt Line started curving toward East Chattanooga just above Kelley Street
Belt Line went just west of Dodson Avenue
Belt Line trestled under the East Tennessee line near Bragg and Wheeler
It curved down near Bachman Street on its way to the Boyce Station
Belt Line at Sherman Heights (East Chattanooga)
Boyce Station was the Belt Line's destination in East Chattanooga
Tracks at the start of the East Chattanooga line by Holtzclaw Avenue near Warner Park
photo by Wes Schultz
Line comes across EPB property to a crossing of Greenwood Avenue
photo by Wes Schultz
Belt Line crossed Greenwood Avenue and headed for Highland Park Avenue
photo by Wes Schultz
Double tracks of the Belt Line at the EPB property near Warner Park
photo by Wes Schultz
Highland Park Avenue crossing
photo by Wes Schultz
Railroad crossing sign still stands on Highland Park Avenue, though it has been quite a while since the East Chattanooga line was rolling
photo by Wes Schultz
Trailer sits on the old Belt Line right of way near Highland Park Avenue
photo by Wes Schultz
One of the last vestiges of the track of the East Chattanooga line is just across Highland Park Avenue between Oak and Vine
photo by Wes Schultz
Route went up the present Vine Street
photo by Wes Schultz
Culvert marks where the Belt Line ran near Hickory Street
photo by Wes Schultz
Old Belt Line right of way goes through a back yard at Orchard Knob Avenue
photo by Wes Schultz
Power poles mark Belt Line route
photo by Wes Schultz
Belt Line section between Third Street and Garfield is often used as a pathway
photo by John Wilson
Belt Line arrives at Blackford Street from Garfield
photo by Wes Schultz
View of the East Chattanooga line that is now a path
photo by Wes Schultz
Rise in yard near Rawlings Street shows Belt Line route
photo by Wes Schultz
Belt Line trail with tree down near Milne Street
photo by Wes Schultz
Rise in yard at Cooley Street is Belt Line signature
photo by John Wilson
Belt Line at Laura Street
photo by Wes Schultz
Just past crossing of Dodson Avenue
photo by Wes Schultz
One of the best preserved sections at Ocoee and Arlington
photo by Wes Schultz
East Chattanooga route went beside the Buster Brown plant
photo by Wes Schultz
Belt Line section just after Buster Brown plant
photo by Wes Schultz
Belt Line approaches concrete wall for the East Tennessee line overpass
photo by Wes Schultz
Another concrete wall of the East Tennessee high route over the Belt Line
photo by Wes Schultz
High trestle and concrete pillar
photo by Wes Schultz
Belt Line view north of the East Tennessee crossing
photo by Wes Schultz
Section of Wheeler Street approaching Glass Street was originally the Belt Line route
photo by Wes Schultz
Line heads for Glass Street with Billy Goat Hill in the background
photo by Wes Schultz
Belt Line at crossing of Glass Street near Latta
photo by Wes Schultz
Line heads by old brick building toward stately old Methodist Church that fronts on Chamberlain Avenue
photo by Wes Schultz
East Chattanooga line heads into woods as it goes toward Daisy and Appling streets
photo by Wes Schultz
Rare section of Belt Line track in East Chattanooga is by building on Bachman Street near Wheeler
photo by John Wilson
Curve of the Belt Line at the corner of Bachman and Curtis streets
photo by Wes Schultz
View from high atop the Wilder Street Bridge near where the Boyce Station once stood
photo by Wes Schultz
A railroad once chugged its way through East Chattanooga, starting near Warner Park and winding its way several miles past the East Tennessee, Virginia line to the busy Boyce Station, where the Western & Atlantic and Cincinnati Southern lines joined.
The only tracks still located in place on this Belt Line route are at the start of the line at EPB yards across from Warner Park and a small section near Bachman Street.
You can still see where the East Chattanooga route veered away from the Belt Line that went past the National Cemetery and Warner Park. This is between Oak and Vine streets on EPB property near Holtzclaw Avenue.
There is also track at the crossing of Greenwood Avenue.
There is more track at Highland Park Avenue, where a Railroad Crossing sign is still in place, though no trains or streetcars have crossed in decades.Though they no longer serve a utilitarian purpose, hopefully the crossing signs will be allowed to stay in place as part of our rich railroad history.
The route of the East Chattanooga line is visible up Vine Street eastward in the direction of Missionary Ridge. It skirted to the right of the tall peak at Orchard Knob and went a little to the left when Vine Street hit a rise.
The line veered just north of Vine at Hawthorne and continued in a straight line until crossing Kelley Street to the rear of the current Parkridge Hospital. It then went across what is now a Parkridge parking lot.
Then it began to veer north, going across Ivy Street and Fifth Street. Two medical office buildings have been erected where the Belt Line once crossed in the vicinity of Fifth and Fourth streets.
The line continued near Kelley Street passing Garfield, Blackford and Cleveland streets. It is in place as a narrow paved road between Third and Garfield and on between Garfield and Blackford.
After Wilcox Boulevard, it went between Dodson Avenue and Willow Street. Sections of the old route are clearly visible, and it is often used as a pathway.
It crossed Portland Street near Willow and went on past Cooley, Laura and Wilson streets.
Then it curved back east toward the corner of Dodson Avenue and Monroe Street. Here you can clearly see where the East Chattanooga line curved toward the Buster Brown factory. It crossed Camden and Ocoee, then reached Wheeler Street at the corner of Gilbert. A well-preserved section of the line can be seen in this section.
It ran just in front of the former Buster Brown plant. On the other side of the former plant (that is now in use by Memorial Hospital) the Belt Line approached a crossing with the East Tennessee line that came down from the Missionary Ridge tunnel.
Both lines were initially at grade. Later, a high crossing was built across the Belt Line. The high concrete walls are still in place, though the East Tennessee line went out of service after a bypass was built around the north end of Missionary Ridge.
The nearby Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum still uses the at-grade route of the East Tennessee line - making a crossing of the old Belt Line route near the former Bragg Street that is now called Infantry Street.
The East Chattanooga line continues straight north along the current Wheeler Street. It passes Crutchfield Street and then goes acrsoss Glass Street near Latta. You can see the old route in both directions from this Glass Street crossing.
It goes across Daisy, Appling and Fairleigh streets before beginning the curve toward Boyce Station. The route goes by Bachman Street past Taylor. It makes another curve that is still visible at Curtis Street before reaching the corner of Cushman and Roanoke streets.
The East Chattanooga line crosses Stuart Street before reaching the old site of the depot at Wilder Street. There is no trace of the old station, which was torn down when a deep cut was made for the main line. Nearby is an overpass leading over the main tracks to Amnicola Highway.
The Belt Line ran for only a few years in the late 1880s and the early 1890s. It continued in service after it was acquired by Southern Railway. A woman in 2014 remembered visiting her grandfather's house on Arlington Avenue and having the conductor on the Belt Line toss her candy.