Creeping into Carolina. The Norfolk & Western's daily mixed service on the Abingdon Branch gained the nickname "Virginia Creeper", after vine-like plant that is native to the region, because it wound its way through the hills and farmlands of Southern Virginia and Western North Carolina at a creeping pace of 15-25 miles per hour. At that speed, the train killed the better part of the day making the run from Abingdon, VA to West Jefferson, NC and back, despite the fact that the entire round trip was just about 110 miles. In this scene, a young man participates in the fall harvest on his farm in Smethport, as Train 201 works the grade on the wide, sweeping curve behind him.
