The Last Run? Cruising along at track speed (a mere 10 mph), Chesapeake Western's V94 crew with #3522 leading long hood forward is pulling the last of the TOFC cars out of storage. These cars were stored several years at the end of the inactive line in Mt Jackson. It took two runs over two days to pull the 100+ cars back to Harrisonburg and then down to the NS yard in Shenandoah. Before the merger of N&W and Southern RR in 1985, this was Southern RR trackage and the line then was know as "Manassas-Harrisonburg Branch" line with traffic originating in Manassas and ending in Harrisonburg. At the time of the merger, portions of this line had no business and after all the corporate restructuring was settled, this line was cut at Mt. Jackson and Strasburg. The portion in between is dead and signals were eventually removed. The Strasburg and north portion was worked by the newly formed NS while the Mt. Jackson and south portion was given to the Chesapeake Western RR. This gave the CW 25 new miles of trackage and new customers. Unfortunately the times still have not been favorable to CW's then newly added portion and the line has been cut once more from Mt. Jackson back to Broadway. The track seen in this shot is north of Broadway's EOT and has been inactive for several years. The move seen here could quite possibly be the last train to ever run on these rails. No new news on this lines future but with its lack of customers and failing track condition, its not looking too favorable. Its sad to see this line go to ruins as it has very wonderful and scenic views of the valleys mountains and open farm land making it a prime for tourist/scenic runs.
Solely the CW Past and Present.
July 5, 1895 CW moved its first load of freight and although its existence is merely on paper today, its roots run deep. 128 years and still moving freight. The CW operates as a subsidiary of Norfolk Southern.
