Roanoke - Abilene
A self-guiding railfan tour
Introduction:
Most of you probably realize that Frograil has an aggressive effort underway to create a railfan tour from Tidewater (Norfolk) to Sandusky, Ohio. Completed sections in Virginia are here, and those in West Virginia are here. As the preceding indicates, this is an east - west tour. Well, what about the guy who wants to go west - east? This Frograil tour segment is a tour of what was the Virginian Railway, and it goes west - east between Roanoke and the Abilene Connection. For now, it's completed between Roanoke and Moneta, and then between Altavista and Phenix. If you wish, you'll be able to do a really nice circular tour between Burkeville/Farmville/Roanoke, and then back to Roanoke/Altavista/Abilene/Burkeville -- but you'll have to wait for the uncompleted segments to be researched and posted. Be patient, as it will all come together (but only if I live long enough!).
If you've not taken a Frograil tour before, you are strongly urged to visit the Frograil Tour page, as it is packed with information and suggestions to help you enjoy your tour, maximize the effectiveness of your time, and keep you safe and comfy along the way. To navigate anywhere within Frograil, click on the navigation buttons at the top of each page.
Contents And Navigation:
About This Tour:
WHAT YOU WILL FIND HERE: From a particular starting point, each segment of this coverage will allow you to follow the instructions given, drive to a railfan site, then to the next, etc. etc. Traffic levels and patterns will be given, and the photographic/ lighting considerations for each site will usually be mentioned. You'll be told about area attractions, such as tourist and historic sites, as well as hotels and restaurants which are trackside or otherwise worthy of note. In short, you'll be able to plan an entire family or railfan-only outing or even a vacation from this guide, as it is completed in the months to come.
WHAT YOU WILL NOT FIND HERE:This is a railfan guide, not a photo collection. There are already many excellent and enjoyable railroad photo sites available, and one more really wouldn't add much value to the general railfan. Besides, photos take up a lot of memory, and your humble Webmaster has to pay for memory.
You will not find fancy graphics, as this is a tour guide, not an exhibition of HTML or graphics expertise. You'll be able to load these pages quickly and print them without waiting a week for each page to print. Also, you'll conserve a lot of toner in the process.
Finally, no maps are included. Even if you cannot or will not purchase good deLorme or other such atlases, you can print maps from MapQuest off the Net. Maps take up a great deal of memory, and I see no reason to duplicate what is readily available elsewhere.
Contributors:
Major contributors to this effort include:
Chris Denbow, whose delightful train gifs are sprinkled all thru Frograil and this tour. Frograil is proud to host "Gifs by Chris", and you can enjoy Chris's work just by clicking the navigation button at the top of any page within Frograil.
Tony Hill, Webmaster and content provider, entire tour. The guy who makes Frograil go.
A Request For Help:
If you'd like to contribute to this, or any other tour, please contact me at webmaster@frograil.com, and let me know what you'd like to do. We'll work together: You supply the data/info, and I'll do the HTML stuff and upload it. You'll get a chance to review the fruits of your efforts before the general public sees the finished product, so you can let me have your corrections, additions and changes.
Supplemental And Back-Up Data
The Railroad. The Virginian was a comparative late-comer to the railroad scene, and when it was built, it was built to a much higher engineering standard than railroads built decades earlier. Soon after the N&W bought the Virginian, virtually all coal trains went east on the ex-Virginian, and empties came back via the N&W, because the Virginian provided less curve and hill challenges. The 2 roads were connected at Abilene, utilizing what is called the Abilene Connector. The same practice continues today. However, the traffic mix between Roanoke and Hurt/Altavista changed substantially after the Southern and Norfolk & Western merged. Another connector, the Hurt Connector, allowed manifest and coal trains to depart Roanoke and then head south to Linwood via Hurt and the ex-Southern.
Beyond Hurt, however, virtually all traffic is loaded coal trains heading east. Traffic levels vary, but short term-wise, very hot and very cold weather will greatly increase the traffic. Long term, the strength of the dollar is severely hampering the ability to export coal at past levels, and much of the coal mining area in West Virginia is mined out.
Photographic Considerations: As I've done in several Other Tours, I've attempted to rate the photo fields for all 4 quadrants of many crossings detailed in the tour. The following format is used: NE2, SE1, SW 4, NW4, where you go clockwise around the quadrants from northeast to northwest, and numerical ratings, from 1 to 4, with a 1 being excellent, and a 4 being non-existent, are assigned. Note that I'm rating only photo field availability, not the photogenic qualities of the site. I'm a picture taker, not a photographer, and you guys who are good photographers will have to make your own determinations.
Mapwork: Much of the tour is not easy if you have no detailed map for back country roads. I definitely recommend you get a DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer, study it before your trip, and copy pertinent pages for your field work. You can find information here about Railfan Maps that are available.
Security. This is a very rural tour, and you will be in almost no physical danger of being mugged or robbed. Remember, however, that even if you're in a very safe, rural area, if you fall and break an ankle in a remote place, you could die out there. That's why I always recommend you fan with at least one male friend.
Probably the biggest security concern comes from the security concerns of Norfolk Southern Corporation. In this day and age, a jerk who knowingly trespasses, and then gets hurt sneaking up the steps of an engine, can sue the railroad, and will probably even win! While we could argue the idiocy of this situation, the result is quite apparent: The corporation wants you off its property, and will be aggressive in ensuring that, if you do trespass, you will be arrested, and very possibly fined and even jailed. The corporation is serious about this, and you had better be, also.
Abbreviations. Some phrases are used repeatedly in this tour, so I've developed some standard Frograil abbreviations:
NAG. A not-at-grade crossing. Unless I mention otherwise, these are usually not worth the time and trouble to drive to them.
NARL. Not a railfan location. This is because of any number of reasons, such as lousy photo ops, dangerous, no shoulder on a NAG bridge, etc. As a general rule of thumb, it is wise to avoid NARL's.
WEBMASTER'S NOTE: I do not recommend, or even condone, walking along the tracks, as this means trespassing or exposing yourself to danger. You will have to be creative, in some instances, to avoid trespassing while getting to the detailed locations included herein, but you will either have to be creative or not visit those sites. At no point in this tour guide, or any other tour which is part of Frograil, is it recommended that you trespass or expose yourself to danger. If you are a fool and have a leg cut off (or worse), don't come crying to me: You have been warned. Trains are big, powerful, and often surprisingly quiet. Don't end up being a statistic.
Railfan sites: Altavista to Phenix
| Alphabetical Sequence | Sequential Order: West to East |
|---|---|
| Altavista -- Community College | Roanoke -- Station Area V243.3 |
| Altavista -- Dogwood | Roanoke -- JK Tower |
| Altavista -- Shopping Center | Roanoke -- 6th Street SE |
| Altavista -- Station | Hardy |
| Aspen | Goodview |
| Brookneal -- US-501 | Meador |
| Goodview | Moneta -- Overpass |
| Hardy | Moneta V221.4 |
| Long Island | -------------Break in Tour----------- |
| Meador | Altavista -- Station |
| Melrose | Altavista -- Community College |
| Moneta | Altavista -- Shopping Center |
| Moneta -- Overpass | Altavista -- Dogwood V197.0 |
| Nowhere -- VA-693 | Taber |
| Phenix -- Berkley Street | Seneca |
| Red Hill | Long Island |
| Roanoke -- 6th Street SE | Melrose |
| Roanoke -- JK Tower | Brookneal -- US-501 |
| Roanoke -- Station Area | Red Hill |
| Seneca | Nowhere -- VA-693 |
| Taber | Aspen V162.9 |
| Phenix -- Berkley Street |
The Tour
Roanoke -- Station Area. For the most part, Roanoke is a very difficult city in which to railfan. While there are rail lines seemingly everywhere, there are also hills everywhere, one major river and several streams, and it's hard to look at an isolated rail line and know whether it's a connector, spur, branch or main line. The Virginian paralleled the N&W into town from the west and Salem, and then hugged the Roanoke River thru the city, and entered it's big yard in South Roanoke. The yard was appropriately known as South Yard. Like everything else in Roanoke, it's built on a significant curve, and the trackage is visible to the west of I-581/US-220 just before you go over the river. The yard will appear to be mostly empty, as the only cars there are usually loaded coal hoppers waiting movement to the east. Light engines awaiting the next coal train are often present.
To get to the station, which is a logical place to start this tour, go south on I-581/US-220 to the Elm Avenue/Bullitt Avenue exit. Go east one block to a left on Williamson Road. The railroad you'll be paralleling on Williamson is the ex-N&W line going down to Winston-Salem. Williamson will bend 90° to the west, and go under Walnut Avenue. At the base of the overpass is an odd-looking, single story building between two sets of tracks. This building is JK tower. Pass this location and park at the derelict station -- better take your pix, because the structure is in the process of falling down. The roof has collapsed, and it's probably more of a potential liability problem for NS than anything else. Expect it to be demolished shortly.
The tracks south of the station are coming out of the ex-Virginian South Yard, which is further to the west beyond the I-581/US-220 overpass. They pass the station, go under Walnut Avenue, and cross the N&W line mentioned in the last paragraph. Historically, JK tower controlled movements thru the diamonds. Photos in the area are E4, W1, but this is primarily an afternoon site. You can probably find access from the southeast a little west of the station, but this tour is heading east, so I've not included any such info. Whatever you do, be unobtrusive and stay well back from the tracks.
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Roanoke -- JK Tower. Depart the station area by heading back north on Williamson, but only go one block, and park on the left of the street, in the vicinity of the commercial parts store. Try not to park in it's parking lot. Even though you're only a block or two north of the station, there is an entirely different "look and feel" to this site. You are directly opposite the diamond, and the tower is just to your right. You can shoot trains on both lines, and the results should be excellent in afternoon lighting. E4, W1, and there appears no legal way to get east of the diamond for AM shots. This is a much better photo location than the station area, but Williamson is pretty busy, and you need to keep aware of where you are at all times.
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Roanoke -- 6th Street SE. Continue north on Williamson to a right on Albemarle Avenue. The railroad has meandered off to the east, and is inaccessible, hugging the Roanoke River, and enjoying the shade of what amounts to a virtual forest in almost downtown Roanoke! Take a right onto 6th Street, and begin a slow, careful project of going straight up and then down, keeping to a southeast bias all the while. Just follow your railfan nose, and don't trust MapQuest. Eventually, 6th will peter out at the bottom of the various hills, and there is a dirt trail to the tracks. This is a quiet, safe neighborhood, and this is a very fine railfan location. N1, S1, and you can spend all the time you want.
The only real downer to this site is that the Tinker Connection is further east, so you'll miss the Linwood-bound manifests, as well as the MT's off the ex-Southern via the Hurt Connector. However, the next railfan location is some 9 railroad miles ahead, so you might as well enjoy this spot. It's going to take some driving to get to the next one.
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Hardy. Where 6th Street ended, Morrill Street goes northeast at a 90° angle. Take it uphill to Buena Vista Boulevard. Take a left and stay on the Boulevard as it swings around to 9th Street. Take a left on 9th, and drive all the way up to the major intersection with Bullitt Avenue. (Note that 9th Street crosses the tracks well south of where we joined it, but it's a NAG/NARL.) Take a right, and Bullitt will eventually become Dale Avenue, and then Virginia Avenue as you enter the town of Vinton. Roanoke and Vinton are separated by Tinker Creek. As you go over the creek, you'll notice a set of tracks: This is the Tinker Connection that was built to connect the N&W and Virginian when N&W bought the latter. This is where the traffic for the Hurt Connection and the ex-Southern main goes down to meet the route we're trying to tour. We'll not get close to the actual junction, however, as it's well to the south and inaccessible.
Be careful driving thru Vinton, as Dale Avenue is also VA-24, and you don't want to follow the signs for VA-24 eastbound; rather, continue on thru Vinton on what is now Virginia Avenue. (Note that VA-24 crosses the tracks about 6-8 blocks south of here, but is a NAG/NARL.) Similarly, this will occur again after 6-8 blocks, as the main road seems to veer to the north. Continue straight on what will now become Hardy Road. We will be on Hardy for some time, so we can forget about name changes, at least for a while.
The railroad, meanwhile, is merrily running along the Roanoke River, with only one point of road access, and that is at a power plant, so I didn't even think of trying to get access. Beyond the power plant, the railroad goes under the Blue Ridge Parkway, thru something called "Explore Park", and it may as well be on the moon, as far as fanning is concerned. But be patient, because we're coming up to a very, very good railfan spot.
As we go southeast on Hardy Road/VA-634, both MapQuest and DeLorme show a crossing via a right onto VA-635/Shady Run Road, and then another onto VA-633/Gravel Hill Road. The latter has been cut, however, and is therefore a NARL. So, just continue southeast on Hardy. Similarly, you'll see Barrington Court on your right, which shows as going almost to the tracks, but it really doesn't -- another NARL. Finally, you'll come to Old Station Road on the right. This sounds mighty tempting, and it does go to the tracks, but it's a NAG, and fairly low, at that. Ignore Old Station, and continue, now due south, on Hardy. You'll go over the tracks on a pretty high overpass, and should immediately thereafter turn right onto a dirt lane heading down to the tracks. All this driving effort has paid off -- this is a lawn chair and cooler location, so get comfortable.
Apparently, the open area at the bottom of the dirt lane used to be the site of the Hardy station. It's wide open, set well back from the tracks, and offers southern photo ops: N4,S1. Besides being a good photo spot, you also have all the added traffic from the Tinker Connection thru here, so don't be surprised to see just about anything: Loaded coal, MT's, manifests in both directions, and even a unit grain train wouldn't be outlandish.
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Goodview. We now have to begin a sailboat-like "tacking" procedure, whereby we go up and back, like saw teeth, as we try to stay relatively close to the tracks. So, back track up Hardy Road/VA-634 for several miles. You'll go over Sandy Creek, and immediately thereafter, take a right on VA-619, which is probably Turner Branch Road, but the sign may be missing. It is definitely VA-619, however. This road will take you roughly west - east to an intersection with Goodview Road/VA-757. Most 700's are very minor roads, but VA-757 is a good, well-traveled road. You'll go southeast, cross the tracks on a NAG/NARL, and the road will shortly thereafter bend to a definite northeast bias. VA-755 will go off to the left and cross the tracks, but that crossing is likewise a NAG/NARL.
Continuing on VA-757/Goodview Road, continue on in to Goodview, the site of a convenience store (a real luxury out here), so you can get ice, gas, food, etc. There is also a crossing here, and it's a fairly decent railfan site. Both southern quadrants are rated as excellent for photos, but the NE quad is the entry to an NS facility, and the NW quad is too tight for pix. The sun will be your friend all day. Just to the west is a nice, classic N&W position light double signal mast, protecting the west end of the Goodview siding, at MP V228.2. This site is fairly noisy, as there's plenty of traffic on VA-757, which is one of the more important roads for Smith Mountain Lake access. I believe the crossing at Goodview to be the first at-grade crossing of the railroad via a public road since we started this tour in Roanoke. Virginia and NS have done a commendable job of eliminating grade crossings, but that hasn't made it any easier for us fans!
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Meador. We'll have to continue our tacking strategy as we head further east, so let's go. Continue east on VA-757, and note that "Goodview Road" goes to the south as VA-757 goes north and under the tracks at a NAG/NARL. As you continue further north, VA-619 will come in from the left. Ignore that, but note that VA-619 will go to the right after about 1/2 mile more, and you want to take that road, which is Horseshoe Bend Road. You'll go over a NAG/NARL that is so tight we completely missed it the first time, and eventually come to the village of Diamond Hill. This community is another gateway to the lake, and there is some life support here.
Go east out of Diamond Hill on VA-655/Diamond Hill Road. Look for VA-749/Meador Spur Road on your left after a few miles. Take that left, and drive the dirt road to an at-grade crossing after another few miles. Photo ratings are NE3, SE2, SW3, NW2 -- not bad. However, the railroad is on a broad, sweeping curve, and is also on a high fill to the east. In cold weather with no leaves on the trees, it should be possible to get nice pix, especially if you're willing to walk around and pick your spot carefully.
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Moneta -- Overpass. Continue north on Meador Spur Road. If you see Boyd Mill Road to the right take it, but we couldn't find it. If you miss the possibly non-existent Boyd Mill Road, eventually you'll reach VA608/Altice Road. Take a right and drive back towards the tracks. This whole Meador Spur - Altice roads area is very beautiful countryside, and you'll enjoy this drive. Cross the tracks on another danged NAG/NARL, and the road will become more southeasterly. Eventually, you'll reach a crossroads with VA-122, a major road. Take a left, and go north over the tracks. The bridge over the tracks is a NAG, but it is also definitely a railfan location.
The road is a two-lane road, but the bridge has been built to 4-lane width. The railroad is slightly northwest - southeast here, and you'll get good shots in either direction, depending on the time of day and lighting present: E1, W1. To the east, the scene is thru the tiny village of Moneta, and to the west, the view is thru countryscape. While I'm not much on down on shots, this is a fine location.
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Moneta. From the overpass, continue north and take the first right on VA-806, and then the first right after this, Old Moneta Road. This latter street used to be the main road thru town prior to the construction of the new VA-122. It leads down to the tracks, where it has been cut. The photo ratings are NE4, SE4, SW1, NW1. Since this is temporarily the end of the tour, it'll probably be afternoon, and a good time to enjoy this excellent afternoon railfan location. This is a lawn chair and cooler location -- get comfortable and enjoy yourself. After all, it's taken a whole lot of miles to get from South Yard in Roanoke to this place. It's amazing to note that the railroad itself has only progressed 21.7 miles, and we've uncovered relatively few fan locations, but the countryside has been beautiful, the few spots we've found are quite good, and the effort has been a challenge. I think the challenge has been well rewarded.
There is a break in the tour here; it picks up again in AltaVista.
Altavista -- Station. From the intersection of US-29 and US-29Business in Hurt, just south of Altavista, go north on US-29Business. (See the Crescent Route tour for a description of Hurt and the Hurt Connection.) Once across the Staunton River, US-29Business becomes Main Street. The first right is Broad Street. Take Broad 2 blocks south until it dead ends at the fence before the tracks. Park to the left. The station is to your right and there is a very tall pedestrian walk overpass at the foot of Broad. The overpass has chain link fencing on both sides and the top, so you're actually in a cage. A business-like chain link fence runs across the entire left-right area.
On the south side, the fencing is also complete. There is a large park area, so if you're watching trains in the area, your wife and kids can enjoy themselves at the park. However, as a railfan location, the station area has become more and more fenced in and cluttered over the past several years, and is no longer recommended as a railfan location. Photo: N4, S4
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Altavista -- Community College. Since I teach at a community college, I could hardly ignore this location, eh? Actually, it's an interesting railfan location. This location will take a bit of care and thought, but is workable. Go back up Broad, take a right onto Main/US-29Business, and then take a right and go compass south on VA-683/Pittsylvania Street for just one block. You will see Pittsylvania go under the railroad one block further south, and a large brick building to the southeast, before the tracks. This is the Central Virginia Community College's Altavista Campus. The even larger brick building southeast of the tracks is part of a once (and still largely is) very large textile mill complex that stretches from here until the eastern edge of town.
Before going past the college and under the tracks, take a left onto 5th Street, go east one full block, and then take a right to go down to just before the tracks. Take a final right into the student parking lot. If school is in session, I'd advise parking out of the area and walking in. Here's how to railfan the area:
Walk south across the tracks and find the security guard. I believe he's at the west end of the long, low building before the big brick one. Tell him you want to walk, via the street, south from the college when a train is coming, take pictures of the train, and then walk back across the crossing to the college. You'll probably get the OK, especially during late afternoon and weekends. The north side of the tracks, between the tracks and the parking lot, has a lawn and some evergreens that getting large enough to provide a little shade. Set up a lawn chair, get your scanner fired up, and relax while the students on the north, and mill employees on the south, hustle and bustle around you. Photo-wise, this is a N2, S2 location.
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Altavista -- Shopping Center. As you reach the east end of town, US-29Business will pass between a Food Lion on the north and a shopping center with a Peebles on the south. The tracks are right in back of the latter, so take a right to enter the shopping center parking lot, and bear as far right as you can to circle around behind the stores. Looking west, there is a pretty good sized power plant with a 2-track industrial spur leading to the coal storage area. This plant apparently supplies power to the mill complex. The spur tracks and the 2 main tracks come together at the east edge of the shopping center property. The best train watching area is on the southeast side of the area, but the land drops off rapidly south of the tracks to the east. You have to pick a spot that's off railroad property, yet not so far east as to be unusable. Photo: N2, S1
[Webmaster's Note: Between this spot and Brookneal, you will see no gas stations, super markets, restaurants, or even convenience stores. Indeed, you'll not see a single commercial enterprise of any sort until you get to Brookneal, with the exception of the post office and an apparent junk yard in Long Island. Gas up, get some snacks and drinks and do all of this before going beyond the Food Lion and gas station on the north side of US-29Business.]
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Altavista -- Dogwood. Heading east out of town just a little beyond the shopping area, the tracks will come up hard on your right. You'll see a 2-target signal mast and a short dirt/gravel area about big enough for only one car to park. This is the end of double track westbound, and is "Dogwood", MP V197. Viewing is unobstructed from the north, but you're looking into the sun all day, and you're rather close to a busy road. On the south side of the tracks is a small, fenced area that contains a gas pipeline "Christmas Tree", with a rudimentary road leading down to it. Viewing is excellent to the north, and the sun will be your friend all day.
N2, S1
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Taber. As we make a right turn off of US-29 Business onto VA-712, we are immediately transformed from town to very, very rural driving. Between here and Phenix there are maybe 3-4 striped roads; the others are too narrow and little used to warrant the expense. You're going to need your DeLorme Atlas from here on, believe me. While most of the roads are paved, all are twisty, turning roads that go up, down and around. There are also a surprising number of fairly new single-wide, double-wide and stick-built homes, so there is more traffic than you'd expect on such back roads. You'll have to be careful driving from here on. Another problem you'll encounter will be at least 3 stop signs that are virtually invisible until you're right on top of them. There are no "Stop Ahead" signs along these roads. The placement of some of the stop signs leads me to believe that some fiendish highway engineers have placed them with the sole apparent purpose of their being impossible to see. Use the DeLorme to anticipate stops, and you won't get an ugly surprise. Finally, as if all that weren't enough, if you're driving a big motor home, be advised that there is a 9-ton limit on several bridges in the area. So, armed with caution and knowledge, we proceed.
VA-712 goes over a pretty stream and then goes right to meet Mansion Bridge Road. You can take Mansion Bridge to a crossing of the Staunton River at the place called "Mansion", but the bridge is a new, very large and high one, and there is no walkway at all. The tracks are far below, squeezed against the side of the bluff. There is a defect detector ("Mansion" V194.9), but this is not at all a railfan location. So, rather than turning right on Mansion Bridge, go straight, and you'll come to a stop sign at Gladys Road/VA-699. This is the appropriate place for another warning, unfortunately. MapQuest and other on-line maps contain numerous road name errors -- and I mean numerous as in several. Some of these can be confusing, so I recommend you use your DeLorme and stick to the Virginia road numbers, and generally ignore the names.
Take a right to go southeast on VA-699. This is a good road. You'll come to Perrows Road, which both DeLorme and MapQuest show as going to the tracks at a place named "Perrows", and it probably does, but it is a narrow, gravel road, and is clearly posted by a member of the Perrows family. It is, therefore, not a railfan location. Continue on VA-699 until reaching a crossroads with Marysville Road/VA-696, and take a right to go south. You'll come to a 3-way intersection, and you can either veer left or right. Here, MapQuest makes a major error, showing Marysville Road going to the right. The street signs seem to indicate Maryville going off to the left. Use your DeLorme. Taber Road goes right, and Marysville goes left. Take the right and head towards the place known as Taber.
You'll come to another 3-way intersection, and one block to the south is the Bethel Pentecostal Holiness Church. Continue straight past the church. The road becomes a well-maintained gravel road, and in 2.4 miles of twisting, turning and finally going decidedly downhill, you'll reach Taber. It is well worth the effort, as this is one of the absolute best train-watching locations you'll ever see.
What you'll hear is nothing, because other than birds and the occasional airplane in the distance, there's nothing here to make noise -- no people, no buildings, no traffic, nothing but a wide clearing on both sides of the tracks. This is all deep within an immense tree farm, and is apparently used as a load out when logging or thinning is taking place. There is a side track, but it is not a passing siding, per se. When I was there, forsythia was blooming on the hillside, so this was apparently an inhabited place once, but it must have been many, many years ago.
This is an excellent place to meet some railfan buddies, set up the lawn chairs and coolers, crank up the scanner and tell railfan lies all day. You'll probably not see another soul. The tracks are compass north-south so southbounds will be in excellent light all day. Since the majority of the traffic is loaded coal trains, most of the traffic is southbound (timetable eastbound). By the way, Taber is spelled both Tabor and Taber on railroad and Virginia maps. E1, W1 -- A superb photo location.
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Seneca. Go back up Taber Road to the church and turn right onto Covered Bridge Road/VA-705. Eventually, you'll come to a 3-way, with Covered Bridge veering off to the left, and Seneca Road/VA-704 to the right. Bear right, and you'll shortly swing south to the river and tracks. In all honesty, this isn't much of a railfan location, but it's rather interesting, nonetheless.
The tracks run left to right in front of you, via an attractive bridge. Between you and the bridge is a small yard/field with several junk autos and other trash. The one visible house is derelict, and surrounded by trash. This scene would make an amazing O. Wilson Link-style night photograph. Except for the model years of the autos, and the newness of NS's big dogs, you'd swear you were looking at a depression-era scene.
Walk over the bridge across the branch (this is not the river -- that's somewhat beyond the tracks. You can try to get on the other side of the tracks to make the sun work for you, but it's tight, and you have to be careful to avoid trespassing. This is the end of a passing siding and double track westbound. The railroad point is "Seneca", MP V182.7. Photo: N3, S3
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Long Island. Instead of back-tracking all the way to Covered Bridge Road, take a right as you leave beautiful downtown Seneca onto Mohawk Road/VA-703. Go up the hill and take a right onto Goat Hill Road/VA-633. This is a good road by these whereabouts, and you'll take it to Long Island Road/VA-761. If there is a commercial establishment between Altavista and Brookneal, it must be here, but other than the post office and what appears to be a junk yard for auto parts, not much looked to be open. Long Island seems to be a "used to be" place, but it's a pretty fair spot for train watchers.
The railroad runs northwest/southeast on an almost dead 315°-135° bias. Railroad Avenue runs along the tracks on both sides of Long Island Road, on the river side (southwest) of the tracks. On the southwest quadrant, Railroad Avenue ends at a state boat put in, so expect a good bit of traffic during decent weather. The river is pretty good-sized and very pretty here. Because of brush, the southwest quadrant is not particularly good for photos, but the others range between good and excellent: NE2, SE1, SW3, NW2.
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Melrose. Depart Long Island the way you came in, but when Long Island Road goes to the left as you leave "town", go straight up the hill on Peak Road to a T with Epsons Road/VA-633 (not Phelps Creek Road as per MapQuest). Continue southeast for several miles, and take a right onto McIver Ferry Road/VA-635 (not Melrose Road as per MapQuest). After less than a mile, turn right onto Melrose Road/VA-635, and the well-maintained gravel road will deposit you down at the place known as "Melrose". There is a pair of intermediate signals immediately north of the parking area, and a defect detector at MP V177.4. This is another excellent, quiet place to stretch out, catch a few trains, and ponder the ultimate meaning of the cosmos.
Melrose Road ends at a small parking area adjacent to a hayfield and the tracks, which run almost dead north-south here. On the west, viewing is pretty tight, and there's a path leading over to the river. If you see cars and pick-ups parked here, it's almost certainly guys down fishing at the river. This is just a great morning place for train watching: E1, W3. Get out the lawn chairs and coolers.
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Brookneal -- US-501. Between Melrose and Brookneal the railroad is inaccessible, so go back up Melrose Road and take a right onto McIver Ferry Road to go east. You'll make a 90° left as Evan Davis Drive goes off to the right, and after less than a mile, you'll rejoin Epsons Road/VA-633. This will meander about somewhat, but you'll end up crossing the NS (ex-N&W) in the northwest part of Brookneal. This line was the Lynchburg - Durham secondary main. We'll not cover it during this tour, except to note that it's vastly more accessible and photogenic than is the Virginian, unfortunately. Take a right and head into Brookneal via US-501. Brookneal is the only place on this tour with real life support, so stock up before leaving town (which we'll do very shortly, because there's really nothing to see).
Following the Virginian thru the Brookneal area requires a helicopter, and there is only one area of access that I saw. Continue right thru town on US-501. Just before going under the ex-Virginian tracks north of the river, take a left onto Old Main Street. This may have been Main Street once upon a time, but today it's just a narrow fragment of a real street. There is a small NS office, a few other small structures, and a bunch of oil and gas trucks belonging to a fuel dealer. There are a few open areas for viewing north of the tracks, but nothing at all from the south. At best, this is an N2, S4 location, but it's the only one in town.
To the east of town, at a place call Vabrook, there is a connection between the ex-Virginian and ex-N&W. The crossing itself is not at grade. I could not figure out how to get to Vabrook, as there are simply no roads visible on any map, and I saw nothing on the ground where such a road would have to be. The area is about 3 miles southeast of Brookneal. It's a fairly important place, as coal trains for power plants at Hyco and Mayo, just south of the North Carolina border, leave the Virginian, somewhat reducing the traffic east of here. Also significant about Vabrook is that the ex-Virginian leaves the Staunton River which it has hugged all the way from Altavista, and becomes more north easterly towards Burkeville and Crewe.
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Red Hill. We now go to a genuinely interesting and different railfan location. Go back north on US-501 to the center of Brookneal, cross the ex-N&W tracks, and take a right onto VA-40, the Patrick Henry Highway. This is a major road. As you leave town, Dog Creek Road will be on your right. Take it, and you'll notice signs directing you to Red Hill, Patrick Henry's Boyhood Home. This is good, because that's where you're going! Yes, our next stop is historic/cultural as well a being a railfan location. After you see the sign telling you you're in Charlotte County, take your first right (VA-677) and follow the twisting, beautiful road to Patrick Henry's Boyhood Home.
This is now a National Historic Site, and is administered by the National Park Service. There's a nominal fee to enter the grounds, and there are lots of interesting things to see and do.
[Webmaster's Note: As a personal aside, Patrick Henry was only 22 years old when he made his famous "Give me liberty or give me death" speech. Would very many Americans make that statement today? I believe that every time a man or woman puts on a uniform of our Armed Forces, he or she is making that statement. Being in the military is not a job, it's a way of life. We should not forget that, ever.]
There is a short, circular road around and thru the various buildings and attractions at the site. At about the southwest corner of this road, there is a dirt/gravel road leading off to the southwest. When you sign up to enter the grounds, tell the folks that you're a train fan, and would like to walk down to see the area by the tracks. I even got an escort, and was pleased and impressed by the attitude of the entire staff. If you're there on a busy summer weekend, however, the staff probably won't let you venture beyond the regular tourist areas. The road down to the tracks is clearly posted, so don't venture there without permission.
Once on the road to the tracks, you'll follow along the crest of a small rise in what is apparently a very large hayfield, although it's fenced, so it may also be used for a pasture. If cows are there, obviously, you shouldn't be. The road will drop and curve towards a structure, and the railroad goes pretty much east-west here. There is, from the north, a fence, about 10-15 open yards, the tracks (single track), about 20-30 yards more open space, and then the fence for the pasture on the south side. There will almost certainly be cows there, so there is no reason to go beyond the 2nd fence. Make sure you've been given permission to climb the north fence, and you'll get some decent 3/4's shots. However, because of the nature of the location, it's really not a place to linger. It's between 1/4 and 1/2 mile from the tracks to the paved park circular drive. It's quite pastoral and quiet down by the tracks.
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Nowhere -- VA-693. Between Red Hill and Phenix is a bewildering maze of roads, several of which have neither names nor numbers identifying them. Not all will be covered in this tour, but most will. Those that have not-at-grade (NAG) crossings will be specifically identified as such, so you won't waste your time and gas on them. Most NAG's thru here are in very deep cuts, and photo ops are pretty much ziltcho; also, the bridges are fairly new and were built without sidewalks in most cases.
From the Red Hill/Patrick Henry location, drive back north to VA-619, which is probably called Patrick Henry Road at this point. Take a right to head southeast. You'll cross the tracks (NAG) at Terryville, and the road will then become easterly. Watch for VA-693 going off to the north (on your left), and take it up to the crossing. This really is in the middle of nowhere, and hence the "name" of "nowhere" for this location. Parking is available in the area. Photos: NE3, SE2, SW1, NW3.
All four quadrants offer a raised embankment or hill that allow some interesting photo possibilities. The tracks are on a broad curve, which will add some visual interest. This is a pretty decent location, especially for folks who are photographers, and not merely picture takers.
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Aspen. Continue north on VA-693 until it ends at VA-692, which is probably called Mt. Carmel Church Road here -- it definitely is north of this point, but we're going to take a right and go south, cross the tracks (NAG), and then take a left onto VA-678 (Aspen Road, I believe) to go north to Aspen and a crossing. And it's an excellent crossing, indeed: NE1, SE1, SW1, NW1 Wow! Park on the southwest quadrant at the Community Center. There's a defect detector just to the west of the crossing. "Aspen" at V162.9
To get pix on private, off railroad and off industrial property, walk east beyond the pulpwood yard. As the photo ratings imply, this is a wide open area. While there's a fair amount of traffic on VA-678, the area is primarily rural, and this is a great place for lawn chairs and coolers. Relax and enjoy yourself.
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Phenix -- Berkley Street. Continue north on VA-678 all the way to VA-40, a major highway, and take a right to go east. After a few miles, take another right onto VA-617. You'll shortly come to a 3-way, and you can take a right to continue on VA-617 to a NAG, but you're better off continuing straight on what is now VA-675, which will shortly take you over another NAG, and eventually VA-675 will change from southeasterly to northeasterly and approach the hamlet of Phenix. Somewhere along the way, the road has become Toma Road (just where is anyone's guess), and it will finally become Berkley Street as it enters Phenix.
The railroad comes up and crosses Berkley Street, and it's not bad at all: NE1, SE1, SW3, NW1. When the pulpwood yard on the southeast quadrant is active, you need to walk east beyond the yard, and the southeast rating drops from a SE1 to a SE2, because it's a little tighter. While not a lawn chair and cooler type of place to watch trains, it's certainly a pretty good place to do some fanning.
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This temporarily ends our tour of the Norfolk Southern across Virginia, but look forward to additional segments being completed. Indeed, if you're impatient for more of the tour to be completed, why not submit a segment to me? e-Mail me here, and we'll work together.