One of the smallest and least remarked "union" stations in the country was the L&N depot at Appalachia, VA. Served by the Interstate (until 1928), Southern (until 1939) and L&N (until 1953), the facility, and its wooden predecessor that burned in 1925, did a lively business in handling passengers, mail and express. Interline Bristol, VA to Louisville, KY Pullman service between the L&N and Southern was also handled here until about 1917. But, those days are already a memory on this summer afternoon in 1949. L&N Norton-Pineville (KY) passenger local number 12 eases out of town behind one of the Old Reliable's redoubtable homemade (at South Louisville) engines--K-3 Pacific 208. The daily turnaround of trains 11 and 12 were the last vestiges of passenger service in this southwestern Virginia railroad and retail community. The building in the background is the L&N's freight station, on the back leg of the wye. Both of these structures exist in 2012--but as mere shells. (Original photo by the late H. Reid)
