Trackage between Appalachia and Norton Virginia

[Anonymous]

I was visiting the Appalachia, Virginia area just recently and had a few questions about the trackage between there and Norton. Was the L&N trackage between these two towns rebuilt? I drove out of Appalachia on, I believe, Highway 58. A few miles out of town the Norfolk Southern line that serves the coal mines was observed but I also saw what appears to be another mainline running parallel to the Norfolk Southern, Years ago the L&N ran parallel to the old Southern. According to the SPV Atlas the L&N was removed years ago when the new bridge at Big Stone Gap was built and the CSX received trackage rights on the Norfolk Southern. I read the article in the January 1991 issue of Trains but the Map showed the old L&N line had been removed. Any help would be appreciated.