Eastern Railroad Discussion > Virginian and N&W route locations

With ther news last week about the Commonwealth acquiring the former Virginian between Salem and Christiansburg, I am wondering where one line is in relation to the other.
Is the VGN always to the north of N&W between these points?  What traffic normally runs over the VGN?  I remember reading that when N&W acquired the VGN (?late 1950s) that the premise was for a low grade route for eastbound loaded coal trains - is this still the operational pattern today?
If VA pursues passenger service to Bristol in the future, is there a location west of Christiansburg where a connection could be built to either Bristol line, or N&W main east of its connection with the Bristol line (at Walton)?
Thanks!
Andy

At Salem, the old Virginian is south of the N&W, but it crosses on a bridge just west of Salem.

A connection from the VGN west of Blacksburg to the Bristol line appears to be problematic.

You probably need to look at a mapping application and trace the lines.

The VGN starts out south of the N&W but crosses overhead a couple miles west of Salem at Wabun. The lines seperate after a few more miles and generally are at least several miles apart seperated by a ridge all the way to Christianburg. I can't see any way that there would be a reasonable way to get from the VGN at Christianburg to the N&W at Radford.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/13/21 09:53 by DJ-12.

The former Virginian (Whitethorne District) crosses over the former N&W (Christiansburg District) west of Salem and is on the south side of the former N&W in Salem and Roanoke, in fact east of Roanoke.

Normal traffic on the former Virginian is eastbound tonnage trains, coal but also grain and other trains.  There have been westbound trains operated when there is a disruption on the former N&W, such as maintenance or a derailment.  The former Virginian is single track and the former N&W is double track.  The former Virginian is not cleared for double stack traffic.

There is no realistic way to connect the former Virginian to the former N&W to get to Radford and Bristol from the Christiansburg area.  It is pretty much a dead end.

Jim

twropr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> With ther news last week about the Commonwealth
> acquiring the former Virginian between Salem and
> Christiansburg, I am wondering where one line is
> in relation to the other.
> Is the VGN always to the north of N&W between
> these points?  What traffic normally runs over
> the VGN?  I remember reading that when N&W
> acquired the VGN (?late 1950s) that the premise
> was for a low grade route for eastbound loaded
> coal trains - is this still the operational
> pattern today?
> If VA pursues passenger service to Bristol in the
> future, is there a location west of Christiansburg
> where a connection could be built to either
> Bristol line, or N&W main east of its connection
> with the Bristol line (at Walton)?
> Thanks!
> Andy



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/13/21 10:07 by Jimbo.

Further west, an eastward train on VGN now
runs onto N&W, and the VGN track east of the
junction has been replaced by Hwy 460 (?).
Originally, the eastward-N&W-to- eastward-VGN
coal train connection was near there.

Jimbo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There is no realistic way to connect the former
> Virginian to the former N&W to get to Radford and
> Bristol from the Christiansburg area.  It is
> pretty much a dead end.

While I don't disagree with you, enough money could make a connection happen from Merrimac on the VGN to Christiansburg on the N&W along the alignment of the N&W Blacksburg Branch.  I think the most difficult part of that alignment would be building a westward opening connection at the Christiansburg end.  Currently the Blacksburg Branch switch opens to the east. 
 

DirtyShirt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jimbo Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > There is no realistic way to connect the former
> > Virginian to the former N&W to get to Radford
> and
> > Bristol from the Christiansburg area.  It is
> > pretty much a dead end.
>
> While I don't disagree with you, enough money
> could make a connection happen from Merrimac on
> the VGN to Christiansburg on the N&W along the
> alignment of the N&W Blacksburg Branch.  I think
> the most difficult part of that alignment would be
> building a westward opening connection at the
> Christiansburg end.  Currently the Blacksburg
> Branch switch opens to the east. 

Yes, it would be possible to do that.  First you would have to get to the Blacksburg Branch, which is at a significantly higher elevation than the Virginian, and you would need to make a roughly 150 degree curve from the westbound Virginian to access the branch, so a lot of money would be needed to make that 10 MPH connection. There would be two very busy highways to cross, too.  And then as you say, the present connection faces the wrong way, and includes a serious grade down to the former N&W. So I would still say a connection is not realistic.  But hey, with enough money maybe it is!

Of course, any passenger train to Bristol still has to contend with the mostly original 1850's right-of-way and all its curves.

 Ironically, the ceremony announcing the NS-Virginia deal was at the Blacksburg Branch, behind the old New River Mall.  

Jim
 

Thanks for your explanation. I've been wondering if a connection was at all possible.

Posted from Android

Tunnel??

I can't see a passenger route stopping at Radford when it is only a few miles from Blacksburg.

If the goal is to continue on to Bristol (possibly beyond), perhaps a couple mile connection could be made further west on more open land before the two routes diverge too much.

SD45X Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tunnel??

Yes, at maybe one to two miles long.

Another long shot would be going through the Radford Army Ammunition Plant (Radford Arsenal).  A lot of track would have to be built for that, including a way to reverse direction off the Virginian.  And somehow I can't see passenger trains going through an ammunition plant.........

These would be very remote possibilities to get to Bristol from Merrimac.

Jim