NS U53 crosses the Powell River (background) and the ex-L&N's CV Division (foreground) approaching Appalachia. After leaving Norton with three covered hoppers and a bad order car, U53 picked up 2 ... (more)

U53 has picked up 20 "yellow ball" empties from Westmoreland Coal's Appalachia transloader and backs around the wye in Appalachia. Once U53 clears the wye switch, it will utilize the track in the ... (more)

The headend and midtrain power, along with a midtrain radio control car and cab, wait in the clear at Appalachia for a crew to return to Andover Yard. The units will then venture to Westmoreland C... (more)

NS 708 slowly departs Appalachia with another unit train of coal destined to hungry southeastern power plants. The track to the right of 708 is the ex-L&N Cumberland Valley main line; two L&N-Sout... (more)

Helper unit laying over waiting for the next push

Bee Rock Tunnel frames the defunct Westmoreland transloading facility along with the abandoned ROW of the former L&N Cumberland Valley Division main line near Appalachia Va.

At the east end of the yard a train with some color waits to depart.

This is a slide taken by my friend, David DeVault---who is now, sad to note, in a nursing home in Kingsport, TN, suffering from Alzheimer's. This was October 16, 1965, and he was riding a Southern... (more)

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 f... (more)

Virginia coal-hauling short line Interstate purchased four ex-Southern Ks-3 Consolidations in July 1952--the last steam acquisitions by the company. Former Southern 2509--now Interstate's 28--lead... (more)

A train of empty L&N hoppers rolls downgrade into Appalachia across Powell River (distance bridge), and the L&N's Cumberland Valley Division main line. Local kids referred to the swimming hole ben... (more)

Southern Railway 5226 followed by three more geeps lug a loaded coal train (aka the "Yuma Turn") through downtown Appalachia. This particular GP38-2 was equipped with radio-control to operate "mid... (more)

Back in the day there were a bunch of these whirring around this giant operation moving raw coal for cleaning and loading SOU "silverside" cars on endless unit trains. Some had numbers externally... (more)

Four Southern Rwy EMDs working at Appalachia, VA || June 1975

NS U53 rolls to a stop beside the ex-L&N passenger depot in Appalachia to wait for clearance through Appalachia enroute to Westmoreland Coal's large prep facility in town. U53 returns to Appalachi... (more)