Did N&W Run over VGN During USRA Era?

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

I forgot to add that it is quite obvious to me that Reid got most of 
his information in the book from newpaper reports. I belive he worked 
for the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, so he would have had ready access to 
their files. So there is probably a story in that paper about the time 
concerning this operation, and may well contain some further details.

Ken Miller
On Oct 31, 2004, at 10:10 PM, nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org wrote:

> Quoting H. Reid's The Virginian Railway, page 65
>
> ''The first N&W train ran east over the Virginian was on December 1, 
> Early in 1919, four N&W trains steamed east while three Virginians 
> went the other way. It was anticipated that all N&W through tonnage 
> east of Roanoke and Crewe could go over the Virginian while four or 
> five Virginian empties could be sent over the N&W. The joint efforts 
> reinstated several passenger trains that had been war-curtailed. 
> Moreover, a Virginian freight into Norfolk switching from N&W to 
> Virginian mainlines at Portlock, cut out the need for a Norfolk 
> switcher.
> More than likely, the experiment would have continued had the war not 
> ended with a recession.  Virginian sold its coal pier barges, laid off 
> men, including the general manager; and fought off lingering high coal 
> prices and mine complications. It was time to think of individual 
> economic survival instead of consolidated facilities.''
>
> Ken Miller