Virginian Railroad passenger service.

[NP Eddie]

ALL:

I am interested in knowing about the passenger service on the Virginian Railroad. When were their trains discontinued? I remember seeing a picture in "Trains" of one of the NW coaches that the VGN leased (I assume their equipment was not save anymore). A copy of a 1948 "Official Guide" shows one train each way on each half of their railroad (Roanoke was in the middle). What was done for meal service on their trains? 

Ed Burns

Happily retired NP-BN-BNSF from Minneapolis

[Deggesty]

Ed, there may have been arrangements with restaurants along the way to have lunches ready after being nototified that so many passengers wanted lunch. 

Some railroads had notes in the public timetable concerning such service; others did not, even though it was available. I have taken advantage of both kinds of service on the Southern, ACL, and SAL.

Editied to correct spelling and spacing.

[ndbprr]

The Vgn ran trains with coachs Or coachs with a baggage car. I have two paperback books but don't remember either author. I believe their runs were short enough that passengers probably brown bagged it.

[rcdrye]

VGN ran both daytime and overnight trains between Roanoke and Norfolk until 1937, with Pullman buffet-sleepers on the overnight runs.  Until the early 1930s, VGN day trains carried "Club-Diners" which operated trough to various points on the NYC/T&OC (Charleston) and C&O (Huntington, via Deepwater).  The trains west of Roanoke were discontinued in 1951, when NYC pulled out of the joint service to Charleston.  Remaining trains 3 and 4 stopped at Victoria for meal service.  The regular crews were happy to keep the few customers' food cold in the water cooler's ice compartment.

The VGN's coaches were replaced with leased N&W coaches under a state order after VGN petitioned to discontinue the trains.  This was a fairly typical move of the era, reflecting the idea that service improvements would draw more passengers.

[ElmoreTRM]

The Virginian operated two pairs of trains numbered 3 and 4, one set on the New River Division west of Roanoke and another set on the Norfolk Division east of Roanoke.  Not sure when the split occured but at least the early thirties.

Service on the NYC between DB Tower and Charleston ended on January 24, 1952.  On June 20, 1952 service was further cut back to Page, WV.  This train provided service between Page and Roanoke.

Service ended in Virginia on the New River Division on December 31, 1954 when the train was eliminated between Roanoke and Hales Gap WV.  Service continued between Hales Gap and Page until July 11, 1955 when the train was eliminated ending service in WV.

Service on the Norfolk Division between Roanoke and Norfolk ended January 29, 1956 ending Virginian passenger service.

I have not heard of Virginian trains stopping for meals, at least on the New River Division.  I have heard of a man that would ride the short distance between Maben, WV and Mullens, WV selling Cokes and sandwiches.

Tom Marshall

 

[rcdrye]

The Virginian's use of 3 and 4 on both sets of day trains came at the time the night train was discontinued.  The day train on the Norfok Division had been 13 and 14.  Norfolk division 3 and 4 and New River Division 3 and 4 did not run through in the teens and twenties, but the connection at Roanoke was reasonable. 

The joint service with NYC to Charleston seems to have had run-through characteristics, with VGN engines and crews operating on NYC tracks, and some reciprocal NYC (Toledo and Ohio Central) operation on VGN.  How entangled these arrangements were with theo ones for freight trains, especially coal trains, is hard to tell.

Virginian's passenger engines were in the EA (4-4-0), TA (4-6-0) And PA  (4-6-2) classes.  Some of VGNs MB-class 2-8-2s were equipped with steam and signal lines and pinch hit on occasion.

[ElmoreTRM]

The Norfolk Division day trains were numbered 1 and 2.  They were eliminated in the thirties.

Trains 3 and 4 were originally numbered 13 and 14.  This was changed sometime in the teens.  Employee time table No. 3, effective November 30, 1919, lists 3 and 4.  At that time trains 13 and 14 were passenger runs on the Winding Gulf Branch in WV.  These trains ran between Mullens and Fireco.  The Winding Gulf passenger trains were eliminated in December 1940.

Virginian passenger service over the NYC began March 15, 1931 when the connection between the NYC and VGN was finished.  Virginian operated trains 3, 4, 5 and 6 in and out of the Charleston.  Trains 5 and 6 were eliminated between Mullens and Charleston the following year.  Virginian passenger trains on the NYC used VGN crews and equipment.  The trains, while on NYC track, were only allowed to discharge/pickup passengers traveling to/from points on the Virginian.

Virginian and NYC operated VGN time freights 71 and 72 and pool freights between VGN's Elmore Yard and NYC's Dickinson Yard using VGN engines and crews from both roads.  Virginian crews would operate for six months after which NYC crews would operate until they equaled the milage on VGN track that VGN crews had accumulated on NYC track.

Passenger and mixed trains also used the various classes of early consolidations and the class MC 2-8-2.