Riverton, Virginia ????????? but is it ?

Thu Nov 2 10:49:32 EDT 2023

Here are my thoughts:

The presence of a B&O locomotive becomes part of the answer IF and I say IF
this indeed in Virginia as it is purported to be.

Here is the setup:

The N&W's Riverton (JUNCTION) station was located where the north-south N&W
line crossed the east-west Southern Railway line. It was originally built
in 1880 or 1881 and lasted until it was removed in 1954. It was removed
because the N&W had just received Va. State Corporation Commission approval
to build and open an entirely NEW Front Royal Station at a new location
between the old depot down at I think it was Luray Avenue and the then
existing N&W Riverton Station, located at the diamond crossing of the two
aforementioned railroad lines. The 3 depots were apparently open
simultaneously from June 12 to June 20, 1954 when the N&W Riverton (JCT.)
depot and old Front Royal depot were officially closed. The new FR depot
was opened on Kendrick Lane near what became American Viscose and was a
very active customer of the N&W. That depot still exists and is used as a
crew and MOW base even today but has been closed as a station for many
years, my guess would be when American Viscose closed, that sealed that
fate which is a story for another day. This Riverton Station in every photo
I have seen always had a canopy over the tracks for passenger cars. I do
not know when that canopy was removed but if it lasted to the end in 1954,
that confirms THIS photo is NOT in Virginia. I also know of NO Baltimore &
Ohio steamer on this line; EVER. That's not to mean it didn't happen, just
I have no record of it. There could have been a diversion of some sort but
considering by 1954 steam was consigned farther west on the B&O having
departed Brunswick on December 31, 1953 is another clue.

The N&W's Riverton Junction station never had the name designated with a
sign (to my best knowledge), as Riverton Junction and that only adds to the
confusion here.

Meanwhile, about a half or three-quarters of a mile WEST of the diamond,
was the Southern's Riverton Station. It was located across the bridge that
still exists there over the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. Southern,
had disposed of steam on the branch in 1949 or early 1950 and to my best
knowledge, no steam of any kind operated here or even close to here (as far
as Front Royal Jct. wye.) until the first SOU steam special of October 1966
with 4501. After the end of steam, only a few Southern steam specials
operated west of FR Jct. and those only as far as Strasburg, Va., then had
to be towed back the 11 miles to Front Royal where they could be turned.

This Riverton station looks similar to the Southern one on the
Manassas-Harrisonburg line but the track layout doesn't look quite right to
me, nor does the station sign; it looks too dark since SOU painted theirs
differently. I've seen pix of it. The question of B&O passenger cars and a
Pacific type here at this date also remains a big question mark to me.

I know nothing about the other Riverton station mentioned as being in
another state but suspect that is the likely locale of both of these
probably mis-identified slides, which are interesting nonetheless.

Isn't history fun? and more fun sometimes at least than farming turnips?

Bob Cohen

Message: 3
Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2023 09:18:40 -0400 (EDT)
From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: Re: Location Riverton Virginia
Message-ID: <mailman.6823.1698932381.3083874.nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

The first slide is Riverton Jct. VA, although the N&W station sign says
Riverton. (Southern Railway had a station at Riverton VA across the river.)

The second slide is not Riverton (Jct.) VA

 Maso Cooper

> On 11/01/2023 11:57 PM EDT NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List <
nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
>
>
> Hello members!
>
> There are two listings which state location as Riverton VA and Riverton
Jct VA. Can anyone please confirm that location is correct? I can see the
station reads Riverton but could be another station like in KY.
>
> Thank you!
> Angelo
>
> [s-l400.jpg]
> Orig 1953 Slide - Baltimore & Ohio B&O Norfolk & Western Riverton
Virginia Depot https://www.ebay.com/itm/256273590159
> ebay.com https://www.ebay.com/itm/256273590159
>
>
> [s-l400.jpg]
> Orig 1953 Slide - Baltimore & Ohio B&O Riverton Junction Virginia
Railroad RBK! https://www.ebay.com/itm/266478261611
> ebay.com https://www.ebay.com/itm/266478261611
>
>
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