> Hey Andrew, Can you tell us more about the
> C&W? Was it a shortline, or a subsidiary
> of a larger road? You mentioned there is a
> station in Harrisonburg, VA, are there any
> other remains?

> Thanks - Mike
--------------------------------------------
Mike here is an excerpt from the C&W history page. I have some pictures of the Depot on CD that I am bringing to the Meeting
---------------------------
The Chesapeake Western lines celebrated their centennial in 1995. The company has continued to survive as a separate operational unit and a subsidiary of the Norfolk Southern Corporation and today its lines are operated under the auspices of the Virginia Division. The "Crooked and Weedy" has persisted despite several grave threats to its existence including mismanagement by absentee owners, disastrous floods, and nearly being sold for scrap in the late 1930s.

The line began as an attempt to provide alternate transportation of goods from the Central Valley. After the Civil War the B&O had a stranglehold on rail traffic in the region, through its control of the Manassas Gap Railroad between Strasburg and Harrisonburg. The B&O also operated over its own line between Harrisonburg and Lexington. This latter line, the B&O's great southern extension, was constructed between 1872 and 1883, with the intention of reaching Salem. These plans never reached fruition, for the line never went beyond Lexington. The B&O's rival, the Pennsylvania, underwrote the construction the parallel Shenandoah Valley Railroad and won the race to Southwestern Virginia, reaching "Big Lick," now Roanoke, in 1881. The Shenandoah Valley became part of the N&W and was to serve as the Chesapeake Western's principal connection. The B&O lost its lease on the Southern line between Strasburg and Harrisonburg in 1896 and the Lexington line became a costly appendage.

--------------------------------------------
Andrew


http://www.trainweb.org/varail/aux/cwhist.html
amartin@wlu.edu

Mike.
There are three Depots that are still standing that I know of that are unused and one that is converted to a home. As far as Rolling stock the only thing I know for sure are the 2 baldwins at the scrapyard, but rumor has it that at least one or two of the steamers at the scrapyard ran on it too plus one Alco diesel whick is said to be in the Virginia transportation museum.Part of this is only Rumor at this point so dont quote me.
Andrew Martin


amartin@wlu.edu

Andrew - Thanks for the link. I looked around on the site and found that a large portion of the track is still in place and used, although it looks like it's somewhat sporadic between Pleasant Valley and Staunton. That might be a nice scenic ride, provided you don't have to stare at I-81 too much. It might be worthwhile to contact the owners about a railfan trip after the group gets going.

See you tomorrow - Mike

> Mike.
> There are three Depots that are still
> standing that I know of that are unused and
> one that is converted to a home. As far as
> Rolling stock the only thing I know for sure
> are the 2 baldwins at the scrapyard, but
> rumor has it that at least one or two of the
> steamers at the scrapyard ran on it too plus
> one Alco diesel whick is said to be in the
> Virginia transportation museum.Part of this
> is only Rumor at this point so dont quote
> me.
> Andrew Martin


yenko117@yahoo.com

Andrew, Mike
VMT's website lists only one Alco unit, an N&W C-630. Here's a link
mw


http://www.vmt.org/Collections/alco_c630.htm
p_michael_warren@yahoo.com

> The B&O also operated over
> its own line between Harrisonburg and
> Lexington. This latter line, the B&O's
> great southern extension, was constructed
> between 1872 and 1883, with the intention of
> reaching Salem. These plans never reached
> fruition, for the line never went beyond
> Lexington.
> The B&O lost its lease on the Southern
> line between Strasburg and Harrisonburg in
> 1896 and the Lexington line became a costly
> appendage.

> Andrew

Is this the grade and stone-bridge(s) that can be seen along the west side of the south-bound lanes of I-81 ? I have always wondered what that was.

BEST WISHES
on getting something organized to save all this equipment.

Too bad those Y-6 (?) engines are not still in there.

Hey Steve, that is actually part of the grading for the never completed Vally RR line. The B&O grade to Lex sits further back from I-81. There is still a station in Fairfield, that sits at the very top of the ridge. It has been converted to a residence and is hard to identify. There is also a small station at Timber Ridge, nicely preserved with station board even though it too is a private residence, also about a 1/2 mile west of 81. Andrew, correct me if I'm wrong.
It's always amazed me that the bridge you refer to has remained standing for as long as it has. I guess they new how to build things right.

Later - Mike

> Is this the grade and stone-bridge(s) that
> can be seen along the west side of the
> south-bound lanes of I-81 ? I have always
> wondered what that was.


Yenko117@yahoo.com

Thanks Steve. I'm encouraged by the support shown on this list and others so far. While I'm no spokesman for the group, I think we have a good opportuntiy to get something done here. We have encountered some people who probably think we're a little too optomistic, but it would bug the crap out of me to know these engines were destroyed, because no one tried. I don't expect to have all 4 in steam for next summer, or maybe even ever, but if we could even get 1 engine and tender for a park engine, I'll know it's one more steam engine my son might get to look at and enjoy one day.

Nothing ventured....

See ya - Mike

> BEST WISHES
> on getting something organized to save all
> this equipment.

> Too bad those Y-6 (?) engines are not still
> in there.


Yenko117@yahoo.com

Yeah, good thing I'm not the spokesman, you can see my spell checking skills are terrible.
Mike

Yenko117@yahoo.com

> Hey Steve, that is actually part of the
> grading for the never completed Vally RR
MIke
you are right The stone bridges were supposed to ba a part of the Valley line. It was supposec to end in Salem VA.There are a number of rock bridge culverts that can be seen on Plank Road South of Lexington. Robert E Lee who was President of Washington and Lee University pushed to get the Valley line completed because of the Iron mines in Rockbridge County.When It was found to be eaiser to mine the iron in other states interest was lost in the valley line. Only Historic remains are left from Roanoke to Staunton VA
Andrew Martin

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lostengines/?yguid=45827158
doowoppie@adelphia.net

To All,
A friend of mine used to be the head of economic development in Staunton. The portion of the CW between Pleasant Valley and Staunton was sold to a group of local businessmen to preserve rail service in the area. They got money to do a rehab, enough for minimum FRA requirements. The designated operator of the line is the B&B out of Buckingham, VA.

The CW originally had a line down through Bridgewater, heading west into the mountains for logging; up until the late 80s it still ran into Bridgewater to service the chicken feed silos. West of Bridgewater is an old station and caboose right alongside the road - a real shock out in the middle of no-where!

The CW between Harrisonburg and Elkton was the original site for the Tweetsie operation; it moved back in the late 60s or early 70s. If you can ever find a copy of the Lucius Beebe book "Mixed Train Daily," it has an article about the CW.

At the VMT, they have one of the CW's old Alco S-series switchers; I remember them coming to Roanoke in the late 80s and being replaced by Geeps stationed at the enginehouse in Elkton. N&W donated one of the S-1s (I think that's what it was) to VMT.

dcrow@icecomp.com

Hi all
The Minutes have been posted to the following site.
If you want I can post them here too.
Andrew Martin

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lostengines/?yguid=45827158
amartin@wlu.edu

Hi all
The Minutes have been posted to the following site.
If you want I can post them here too.
Andrew Martin

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lostengin ... d=45827158


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lostengines/?yguid=45827158
amartin@wlu.edu

Correction to my earlier post:
The Baldwin diesels reportedly still on the dead Morehead & Morgan Fork RR in Kentucky are not DS-4-4-1000's. They are RS12's, ex-Durham& Southern.
mw

p_michael_warren@yahoo.com

Hi Folks
The Western Virginia Railroad Preservation Society is accpeting members. Any who are interested can contact me or Mike Stillwell
Andrew Martin
TWVRPS

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lostengines/?yguid=45827158
doowoppie@adelphia.net