[N&W] Re: Lexington VA

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

[Ron Davis asked:]
 >
 > How does the B&O get into Lexington?
 > I thought the C&O from Loch Laid was the only rail route into Lexington.
 >

Ron:
I believe Mason Y. Cooper, graduate of pharmacognosy, is about to
spring one on us.  Next time you take a trip on Interstate 81, check
out the stone viaduct on the west side at Mile Post 219.  It was
part of B&O's plan to connect with the V&T (?) at Salem.

Harry Bundy
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Okay, so what railroad used the old road bed that parallels I-81 on the west
side for much of its length, at least between the junction with I-64 near
Staunton and Lexington? There is a stone arch bridge on this roadbed about a
mile south of that junction, and several streams pass through stone culverts
under the roadbed in other places. Was that the Shenandoah Valley Railroad?

Greg Harrod
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The B&O got into Lexington via it's Valley Division from Staunton VA.
This branchline was sold to Chesapeake Western just prior to WWII.
(Traffic was down to 256 cars in B&O's last year). You can still see
some of the old stone bridges along I-81. CW kept Harrisonburg to
Staunton part of the RR, and tore up the line from Staunton to
E. Lexington. It got enough money from rising scrap prices to pay
for the whole thing! (Keep in mind B&O got out from under a dog
and they did alot of leg work to get the passenger traffic cut off
before the SCC prior to the CW sale). C&O then got the
E. Lexington to Lexington segment. BTW- The line was originally
a Richmond & Alleghany property converted from a canal, which
was taken into C&O. If you take the back roads from Glasgow
to Buena Vista along the river you can still see some of the canal locks.

Mason Cooper
__________________________________________
A 1971 map shows the track from Buena Vista as N&W; it might have previously
belonged to B&O.

Dennis Hogan
dhogan at dalsemi.com
__________________________________________
I was under the impression that the old grade from Staunton to Lexington 
had been out of service much longer than that. Regardless, that explains 
how an "island" of B&O line became left in E. Lexington. Why didn't that 
get sold to C&W with the rest of the line? Or to C&O for that matter? C&O 
must have been paying richly for those trackage rights.

Reportedly, Robert E Lee supported construction of the line from Lexington 
to Salem. Never was completed due to the financial depression in the South 
after the war. The Shenandoah Valley was able to complete its plans due to 
the deep pockets of Kimball's Philadelphia supporters. One could speculate 
that the threat of this other line to the SV encouraged the purchase of the 
AM&O which became the original N&W.

Ron Davis