"Takin' Twenty" with the Virginian Brethren by Skip Salmon

[NW Mailing List]

Well, no. The Powhatan Arrow stopped in Farmville (as did all other passenger trains). I know, because I used to ride it from Bluefield when going back to college at Hampden-Sydney. The only other possibility might have been troop trains, as they would have no need to stop at Farmville. However, it becomes a matter of traffic density, so they probably would have been routed through Farmville as well.
 
As for intermediate stops between Norfok and Roanoke, the Powhatan Arrow also stopped at Petersburg and Lynchburg.
 
Jim Nichols 

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Jim – 
 
There’s about a mile of thick, thick swamp separating the N&W line from the VGN and SAL lines in the vicinity of Algren; there’s absolutely no way to see the N&W from the VGN other along there.
 
I would be interested to know if there were any instances of N&W passenger trains bypassing Farmville on the belt line.  I believe, as you indicate, that passenger traffic was typically routed over the old “HighBridge” line through Farmville, and the belt line, with its more favorable grades was used mainly for heavier tonnage.  Nevertheless, since the Powhatan Arrow did not make any intermediate stops between Norfolkand Roanoke, I would suppose routing it over the belt line around Farmville would not pose a problem for passengers.  
 
 
 

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What was the Powhatan Arrow doing there? It ran on the old main line through Farmville.    Jim Nichols
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