The Cumberland Southern Bear Creek Branch is a secondary branch line extending southwest to Appomattox, Virginia from its junction at Lynchburg, Virginia with the Cumberland Southern north - south mainline. It was built in 1896 - 1898 to tap the coal and lumber reserves of the area. While some of this business has demised, there are still several active coalmines, and load out tipples where coal is trucked in, and these industries are served by several daily locals. There are also two connections with an active logging operation, Clinch Lumber Co., which has trackage rights to move their raw logs from the junction of their logging lines over the Cumberland Southern right of way to their sawmill. In addition, there is other business on the line, including a sash and door company, a casket company, a lumberyard, and several other customers. These are also worked by the daily locals. There is also a small amount of milk business, and this is handled in the daily mixed train which also provides transportation for local residents, primarily to the miners going to and from work, and to school children. This train also handles some LCL freight business.

Being a low speed branch line with mostly local traffic, most of the motive power in use is made up of smaller steam engines working out their last days, plus a few diesel oddities that have been bumped from mainline service by newer equipment. Among the latter group are some of the one of a kind units that came along when the New River Electric Railway And Lighting Co. was recently merged. Newer power typically shows up on the trains that traverse the branch from one end to the other. This includes the daily way freights that pick up and set out at Bear Creek Yard, and the local passenger trains that operate between Lynchburg and Appomattox.