What does MTH, huckleberries and Virginia Tech have in Common?

[scottsmith]

Answer:The Virginia Anthracite Coal & Railway Company engine in the new catalog.
The Virginia Anthracite Coal & Railway Company, founded in 1902, connected Christiansburg to Blacksburg Virginia. Students attending VPI (Virginia Tech) would catch this train to campus. The train had a reputation of being slow and became to be known as The Huckleberry Line. The train moved at such a rate it was said you could get off while the train was moving pick huckleberries and get back on without being left behind. The train also carried coal from the Merrimac mine to VPI. In 1912 the line was purchased by the N&W and the above engine became N&W class O (O for odd) number 91. Today part of the line surrives as the Huckleberry Trail.
http://www.blacksburg.gov/government/hdrb/article_rails.php
http://www.blacksburg.gov/government/hdrb/article_rails.php
http://gis.montva.com/departments/plan/proj/hptsys/ht/htmap.html
http://gis.montva.com/departments/plan/proj/hptsys/ht/htmap.html
http://gis.montva.com/departments/plan/proj/hptsys/htps.html
http://gis.montva.com/departments/plan/proj/hptsys/htps.html
Scott Smith

[scottsmith]

October's Virgina Living had a great article of Virgina's Rail Trails. They told this story about the VA Anthracite:

QUOTE: Cadets saw the opportunity for mischeif. A favorite trick pulled by the cadets was greasing and soaping the tracks upon reaching their destination. They would disembark the train and for sport watch the engine slide in place. Sometimes the conductor would insist that any remaining cadets help pu***he flailing engine to traction.

This little railroad only lasted 7 years when it was bought by the N&W.
Scott Smith

[ChiefEagles]

Thanks Scott. Love Roanoke and the museums. My NS layout is western VA and WV. Some great train watching there too.