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The Blue Ridge District and Farmville Belt Line of the Virginia Division form the ex-N&W main line between Crewe and Roanoke. Crewe, site of a large yard, marks the boundary between the Norfolk and Blue Ridge Districts. Just west of Crewe lies Burkeville, and the junction with the ex-Southern line to Richmond and the Virginia Southern, a RailTex property operating former Southern lines to the south. The N&W passes over the Southern on a bridge in Burkeville.
Between Burkeville and Pamplin City the line splits, in effect making a thirty-mile-long passing siding. The southern leg connects with the former Virginian trackage at Abilene. The northern segment proceeds west across the Appomattox River trestle and through Farmville before rejoining the Belt Line at Pamplin City. Farther west, at the east end of Phoebe (now "Concord"), the old passenger main to Lynchburg once veered off to the north, to follow a circuitous routing along the James River. This line served Lynchburg Union Station, which stood in downtown Lynchburg, by the James River. This station, long ago razed, served trains of the N&W, Southern and C&O. The present line is routed through the southern edge of the city and across Cottonmill trestle, over the Southern, before reaching Kinney Yard. Kinney is connected to the Southern's Montview Yard through a pair of wyes.The line between Pamplin and Lynchburg is single track with controlled sidings. East of Pamplin, both lines are single-track CTC. Wayside signals are mast-mounted N&W color position lights in many locations west of Pamplin, although they are quickly disappearing. Southern-style "Safetrans" three-color lights have supplanted them in intermediate signal installations near Lynchburg and on the entire Old Main through Farmville. As part of the new signalling, blocks are being lengthened with approximately two blocks replacing what had been three. The Farmville Belt Line has been controlled by Safetrans signals for several years now.
As a rule of thumb, westbound traffic usually takes the Old Main, while eastbounds hold to the Belt Line. High and wide loads are occasionally routed via the Belt Line. The former main line of the Virginian Railway, the favored route for eastbound loaded coal trains, joins the N&W line at Abilene. The Virginian has been abandoned for many years east of Abilene. The old N&W is more directionally balanced, while the ex-VGN is reserved for loaded coal trains. Long passing sidings on the former N&W make for fast-paced action during times of heavy traffic.
The line cross the gently rolling hills of the Piedmont and are readily accessible. Parallel roads, especially US 460 between Farmville and Concord, offer a good view of the action. Stations still stand in Appomattox, Pamplin, Farmville and Burkeville.
The Blue Ridge District is the main route for manifest, intermodal and empty coal trains from Roanoke to the container and coal ports of Norfolk. The Altavista Dist. (ex-VGN) hosts loaded eastbound coal trains. The line has not seen regular passenger service since the demise of Amtrak's Hilltopper in the early eighties.
Locals: V03 serves the east end of the District from Crewe.
| Typical Blue Ridge District Trains | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symbol | Type | Origin | Destination | Days of Oper. | Notes |
| Inter-Division Manifests | |||||
| O52 | Manifest | Linwood | Norfolk | As needed | High and wide train |
| O53 | Manifest | Norfolk | Linwood | A s needed | High and wide train |
| 158 | Manifest | Linwood | Norfolk | Daily | |
| 159 | Manifest | Norfolk | Linwood | Daily | 184 | Manifest | Bellevue | Norfolk | Daily | Autoracks/high-cubes predominate | 185 | Manifest | Norfolk | Bellevue | Daily | Autoracks/high-cubes predominate |
| Intermodal | |||||
| 227 | Intermodal | Norfolk | Detroit | Daily? | |
| 228 | Intermodal | Detroit | Norfolk | Daily? | 233 | Intermodal | Norfolk | Chicago | Daily? | TOFC/single level COFC |
| 234 | Intermodal | Chicago | Norfolk | Daily? | TOFC/single level COFC | 235 | Intermodal | Norfolk | Chicago | Daily? | double stack COFC |
| 236 | Intermodal | Chicago | Norfolk | Daily? | double stack COFC |
| Virginia Div. Manifests | |||||
| 427 | Manifest | Hopewell | Roanoke | Daily | |
| 428 | Manifest | Roanoke | Hopewell | Daily | |
| 456 | Manifest | Roanoke | Hagerstown | Daily | On Blue Ridge Dist. west of Lynchburg |
| 457 | Manifest | Hagerstown | Roanoke | Daily | On Blue Ridge Dist. west of Lynchburg |
| Coal | 800 series | Coal loads and empties | various | Norfolk | As req'd |
| Other | V03 | Local | Crewe | Daily | Crewe-based local |
| V62 | Refuse transfer train | Lynchburg | Amelia | As needed | Moves garbage cars off through freights at Lynchburg to the landfill at Amelia. |
| 371 | New York City refuse train | Waverly | Hagerstown | Twice weekly | Unit trash train, NSOP on Conrail |
| 372 | New York City refuse train | Hagerstown | Waverly | Twice weekly | Unit trash train, OPNS on Conrail |
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Listening in72 Road & Dispatcher Channel 161.190 67 EOT devices 161.115 27 ARN (PBX-Crewe) 160.515 76 Crewe Yard 161.250 76 Roanoke Term. DS/Yard 161.250 Lynchburg dispatcher, Roanoke, outside of Roanoke Term. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Click on the thumbnail for a larger image.
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(1) Shields: NS159, a Norfolk to Linwood manifest, splits the signals at Shields, just west of Pamplin City, on the N&W Old Main Line. Nov. 1996.
(2) Pamplin: NS236, double stack train to Norfolk meets westbound empties and comes onto the Belt Line. Nov. 1996.
(3) Maloney: NS184 on the Belt Line.
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Page last updated November 19, 1997.
Copyright © 1996, 1997 by Paul A. Wilson
