Kingston Branch at Christiansburg

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My family moved from Fairlawn to Christiansburg in the early 1960’s.  We lived in the subdivision known as Huff Acres.  The Kingston branch roadbed was still noticeable there then, albeit without rail or ties.  The roadbed actually cut across our lot.  There is no trace of it now.  We would walk, I believe following the roadbed, to Southern Dairies to play baseball until the construction of Interstate 81 began.  In addition to the grading, I vaguely remember remnants of ballast, especially where the Interstate is now.   I never saw any evidence of a mine, but understood there was one in the past.  We would hike to explore a cave just south of Kingston Court.  I’m pretty sure the cave was not the mine.

John Myers

 

 

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Subject: Re: Kingston Branch at Christiansburg

 

 

 


 

My recollection is that the Val maps showed the line running out to a mine at the end of the 3.68 miles, memory says it was a lead mine. But it never went any further, and I suspect that any kind of trace of the line is virtually gone with development today. The line kind of turned south, after the recent end of track. The only reference I can find right now on Google Maps is a "Kingston Court" in Christiansburg, who'd location sort of fits what I recall from the val map.


Ken:

Here's an excerpt from H. Reid's Extra South, published in 1964-

p. 33 "By 1911, The Huckleberry was, in a sense, withering on its own vine.  An iron mine

at Kingston, VA., failed.  The company anthracite business lost out to mines in Western

Virginia and the Flat Top field of neighboring West Virginia.  In June, The Huckleberry's owners

stood in front of  Montgomery Country Courthouse, firmly believing the time ripe for public

auction,  There were no takers.  On Aug. 29, they tried again.  This time the Norfolk &

Western entered a successful bid.                  Harry Bundy

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