VGN New River Div. Traffic Levels Today?

[NW Mailing List]

On Mon, Nov 1, 2021 at 7:48 PM Ray wrote:

> Jimmy,
>
> My understanding is that the New River Valley station site is likely to be
> on what remains of the former N&W Christiansburg to Blacksburg line
> (Huckleberry) adjacent to the Uptown Christiansburg mall. This will require
> a connection from the NS/Virginian line but less than 1/2 mile of new
> track. When and if service is extended to Bristol this track connects with
> the NS main. Because the connection is eastbound, some work would be
> required at the connection for westbound (toward Bristol) movement.
>

The Virginia Anthracite Coal & Railway line crossing the Virginian on a
trestle is construction completed for the Virginian*. The original line
dropped down a drainage and back up a drainage on the other side to
continue on to the Merrimac Mine and Blacksburg (that part of the line
became the connection between the VGN and the Blacksburg Branch after the
N&W bought the VAC&Ry). The roadbed of the original line still exists, so
building a westbound connection between the VGN and the
Huckleberry/Blacksburg Branch really isn't insurmountable. That would
provide access to the team track and former coal tipple just east/south of
VA 114, across from the mall, the most likely location for a station. The
issue will be engine placement; there will need to be accomodation for the
unit to run around the train to switch from westbound to eastbound.

Once on the Blacksburg Branch, the train could continue to the N&W in
Christiansburg. Again, the issue is engine placement, since the connection
from the branch to the main is heading east. The train could back to
Christiansburg yard and the engine could be switched using the crossovers
at Christiansburg and Pelton so the train could continue west to Radford,
Pulaski, and eventually Bristol.

There are a lot of unanswered questions about all this, though.

*I'm halfway through an article for The Arrow about this whole project.

Bruce in Blacksburg
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