Bedford Station

[NW Mailing List]

Jerry Shepardson's note calls to mind a sad connection between D-Day and 
the Bedford station.

During Gen. Eisenhower's run for the White House, a campaign 
whistle-stop train went through Bedford.  A considerable gathering of 
folk from the town and county, even, assembled at the station to hail 
Eisenhower, including WWII vets.  Bedford's Company A, 116th Inf Rgt, 
29th Inf Div, was among the very first units to hit Omaha Beach on 6 
June 1944, with the loss of some 20 lives.  (Hence the National D-Day 
Memorial at Bedford.) Among the vets awaiting Eisenhower's whistle-stop 
were surviving members of Company A, so anxious to greet (and surprise) 
their commanding general.

To everyone's grief and disbelief, the train just flew through town (not 
unlike the Powhatan Arrow, which made no stops between Roanoke and 
Lynchburg), permitting just a fleeting glimpse of Eisenhower on the back 
platform waving to yet another unidentified country turnout.  In 
seconds, he and the train were were far down the track.

A tragic error.  Clearly, Eisenhower, who surely knew of Bedford's 
sacrifice for the country, was unaware that his train was scheduled to 
go through that little town.  Doubtless the engine crew was not thinking 
about the connection, either.  But some asleep-at-the-switch staffer, 
responsible for distinguishing stops from passes-through, missed a 
singular occasion for a compelling story with deep emotive content for 
soldiers, townsfolk and campaign alike.

Tourist bureau:  There is a grand overnight spot on the Blue Ridge 
Parkway 10 miles north of Bedford.  Peaks Lodge.  From heights very near 
there decades ago one could see and hear off in the distance N&W trains 
on the mainline below near Montvale.  Time to pull out the handkerchief!

Frank Gibson

NW Mailing List wrote:

> Bedford is also home to the National D-Day Memorial. Well worth the stop

> when visiting the area.

>

> Jerry A. Shepardson

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org

> [mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List

> Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 12:53 AM

> To: NW Mailing List

> Subject: Re: Stations

>

> The BEDFORD, VA passenger station still stands.  Fieldstone, quite a 

> landmark.  Converted into a restaurant, the structure's interior has 

> been gutted and reworked.  But the exterior is virtually as it was, 

> minus the "Bedford" station sign now reposing in the N&WHS' Roanoke 

> building.

>

> An NS mainline still passes directly in front of the station.

>

> The frame freight house, on the opposite (south) side of the trackage, 

> after retirement lasted for many years as a farm supply store.  It was 

> torn down in the '90s I believe.

>

> Partial views ('50s) of both depots are on p. 37 of W. Warden's N&W: A 

> and J.

>

> I have modeled both depots in N-scale, and I must say they really are 

> spiffy.

>

> The only other N&W in-town structures still standing are a steel bridge, 

> still in rail service, and two abandoned industrial/commercial coal 

> trestles.

>

> Bedford is midway between Roanoke and Lynchburg.

>

> Frank Gibson

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