Raders Sidetrack

Raders Sidetrack
Raders Sidetrack >

Rader is located in East Tennessee between Greeneville and Mosheim and slightly south of Hwy 11E. Named after early property owner John Rader, it grew into a village, and after the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad (merged into the Southern Railway in 1894) was completed between Bristol and Knoxville in 1858 the village grew substantially. It eventually had its own depot, water tower, coaling tower and sand house. Of course, the railroad constructed a “sidetrack”, and the area generally became known as Rader’s Sidetrack. The county road to Rader (turning south off Hwy 11E) is “Raders Sidetrack Road”.

Today, Rader is still on the map, and the Norfolk Southern railroad is still quite active, and the sidetrack has been expanded to slightly over 2 miles long, and CTC controlled, but the only remaining structures at Rader are houses, (some with older outbuildings) and the church.

Little Chucky Creek drains the Rader area on its way to its confluence with the Nolichucky River at Warrensburg TN. Little Chucky Creek is the home of a very rare fish, the Chucky Madtom.


Rader’s Sidetrack in its heyday

Rader Sidetrack Weather