Wartrace was a work camp for the Nashville-Chattanooga Railroad when the line was originally built. Once the line was complete, a branch line was built to Shelbyville, which is the line angling off the bottom right corner of the photo. In it's heyday, Wartrace was home to more than 60 families employed by the NC&StL.
Not only known as Music City, USA, Nashville served as a major junction for the Louisville and Nashville, Tennessee Central, and Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis as well as through service for a host of other railroads.