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The main classification yard on the modeled portion of the CR&E is located at Lewisburg, WV. During a 24-hour day, six merchandise trains make setouts and pickups at Lewisburg. One merchandise train terminates at the yard, and one merchandise train originates there. Several coal and empty trains, a pair of intermodal trains, and a pair of Amtrak trains also pass through Lewisburg on a typical day.
The yardmaster at Lewisburg is kept busy breaking down incoming blocks of cars and building several locals. A west local runs to Fayetteville, WV, while its eastbound counterpart terminates at the yard. A turn for Paint Bank and New Castle, VA, originates at Lewisburg, as do several mine shifters.
Lewisburg was once home to the Charleston, Roanoke & Eastern shops complex. Under NS ownership, the duties of those shops were transferred to Roanoke, VA, or Chattanooga, TN. The shops at Lewisburg have remained idle for many years, but will someday be home to a locomotive and freight car leasing company.
A westbound freight terminates at Lewisburg and will soon be classified by the yard crew. The curving tracks at Lewisburg Yard are intended to be similar to NS's former N&W yard at Bluefield, WV. The railroad's now abandoned roundhouse can be seen in the background.
The Lewisburg Yard Engine is pulling east on the Kanawha Pull-In (KPI) with a pair of cabs and a cut of cars set off by an earlier westbound. Meanwhile, two Conrail units are crawling down to the east end of the passing siding.
Two NS SD50's pull a westbound train down the mainline toward KD. The tracks behind the engines (front to back) are the Kanawha Pull In, Shop Lead, enginehouse tracks, and class tracks. The covered hoppers in the foreground are on the South Lead, a track that heads to an "off-stage" American Limestone loading facility south of Lewisburg.
The engine servicing facility at Lewisburg can be a busy place. Local power is kept here, as well as power for trains 351/352 which have their western terminus at Lewisburg. The two Dash-9's in the foreground are off an empty hopper train that was spotted on the Laurel Creek Branch earlier in the day.
Here are two views showing incomplete scenery at Lewisburg. At left, eastbound intermodal and autorack train 234 is overtaking a coal train that has added a pusher during the February 2003 operating session. At right, the Brushy Mountain Railroad is interchanging cars with the CR&E Division at the Hopper Yard just east of Lewisburg's main classification yard. The Brushy Mountain operates a portion of the CR&E's old main line east of Lewisburg using a pair of former Southern SD35's.
