Almost to the top...NS 8727 leads a local freight train westbound up the eastern side of the famous Blue Ridge Grade heading for Roanoke.
Leading the Roanoke to Lynchburg round trip excursion The Powhatan Arrow, N&W 611 crests the famous Blue Ridge grade, the route she was built for.
With reverberating staccato, N&W 611 lifts her train up the Blue Ridge Grade at Villamont, between Lynchburg and Roanoke.
Y6a 2167 pushes hard on the wood-sheathed caboose of a coal drag pulled by a single Y6, number 2152.
A bit of hazy sunlight illuminates Y6a 2157 pushing a steel caboose on the freight led by class A 1217.
Class A 1217 pulls upgrade with an eastbound merchandise train, probably no. 84, near the small overpass at Blue Ridge.
Y6 2152 pulls hard on an eastbound coal drag a few miles short of the summit at Blue Ridge. The smoke of Y6a pusher 2167 can be seen clearly on the rear.
Eastbound NS time freight climbing Blue Ridge grade at Webster, VA.
