A.C.H. Photos
VGN Day
Today in 1959, the Norfolk and Western Railway merged with the Virginian. The VGN was created to transport high quality bituminous coal from Southern West Virginia to Hampton Roads. From Bluefield to Roanoke, the VGN and N&W follow a twisting winding path along the banks of the New River, and into the mountains of the Roanoke Valley. As the railroad with the lesser grade, many consider the VGN to be the superior engineered railroad. As a testament to those who engineered it, modern day Norfolk Southern still uses the old VGN line, now known as the Whitethorne, for moving heavy unit trains between Bluefield and Roanoke. Seen here on the old Virginian, as storms approach through the valley, an eastbound coal drag winds its way through the hills and hollers of Northfork, en route to Roanoke on a miserably hot and humid summer day.
VGN Day
Today in 1959, the Norfolk and Western Railway merged with the Virginian. The VGN was created to transport high quality bituminous coal from Southern West Virginia to Hampton Roads. From Bluefield to Roanoke, the VGN and N&W follow a twisting winding path along the banks of the New River, and into the mountains of the Roanoke Valley. As the railroad with the lesser grade, many consider the VGN to be the superior engineered railroad. As a testament to those who engineered it, modern day Norfolk Southern still uses the old VGN line, now known as the Whitethorne, for moving heavy unit trains between Bluefield and Roanoke. Seen here on the old Virginian, as storms approach through the valley, an eastbound coal drag winds its way through the hills and hollers of Northfork, en route to Roanoke on a miserably hot and humid summer day.