Technically, the label should not be rrNaW because this route was still the Virginia Railway in 1928. But rrNaW is much more informative than rrMisc. The N&W mainline used to go under the bridge and it is still intact.
The deck is 120' (37m) high and the bridge is 2,155' (657m) long. [TheTracksidePhotographer]
 |
| Doug Bess posted This is my photo of the former Virginian Railway bridge over New River and the former Norfolk & Western at Glen Lyn, VA taken in the spring of 1968. Approximately four years later the bridge was removed due to the US 460 widening project. Only the concrete piers in the river remain today. Jason Downard: Doug Bess do you have any pictures of the line between Glen Lyn and Kellysville before 460 was built? Doug Bess: Jason Downard there is one on my blog. The link is https://wvrails.net/?p=1130 Also there is a photo of the VGN powerhouse at Narrows. "The VGN was in existence for a short 50 years. The many impressive bridges and tunnels (mostly in West Virginia) enabled the VGN to provide a superior gradient for hauling coal especially over that of N&W’s parallel route between Kelleysville, WV (east of Bluefield,WV) to Roanoke, VA and on to Norfolk....The electrified portion of the railroad between Mullens and Roanoke was dismantled in the last half of 1962." Jason Downard: Doug Bess what I was really wanting to know is if there was a tunnel between Glen Lyn and Kellysville where 460 is now... Hales Gap Tunnel? Doug Bess: Jason Downard yes there was. I wish I had taken a picture of it. It was right behind me in the photo of the coal train. |
 |
| Jason Downard commented on Doug's post Ted Gregory posted Giant Virginian Railway Electrics over massive New River/ Glen Lyn (WV[VA]) Trestle. Correction: This bridge was demolished in 1972 VGN EL2-B 126 wb June 12 1956 R J Cook Ted Gregory shared |
 |
| Jason Downard commented on Doug's post Collection of Tracy Walker, License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike (CC BY-SA) |
 |
| Center for Railroad Photography & Art posted Three Virginian-painted EL-Cs --230, 237, and 231 -- lead an eastbound Norfolk & Western coal train over the New River at Glen Lyn, Virginia, in December 1961. The Virginian had merged with the N&W in December 1959, and electrification would be shut down in June 1962. Photo by J. Parker Lamb (Lamb-01-091-03). *For more of Lamb's photography, see comments for a link to the Center’s book. Center for Railroad Photography & Art: See more of J. Parker Lamb’s outstanding railroad photography in the Center’s book: https://railphoto-art.org/lamb-book/ Robert Graham: The 12 VGN EL-C rectifier electrics, except for 1 converted by N&W to a road slug and 1 (235 got full N&W livery) remained in VGN livery until retired and sold to Hew Haven. The N&W renumbered the 12 by 100 and applied the road number to the cab side. VGN did not put road numbers on their locomotives, just using the number boards. So, seeing a road number on the cab definiteky marks this fine shot as an N&W-era x-VGN electric operation. Curtis Tate: Only the concrete piers left. U.S. 460 was built on the grade. |
Ed Painter posted four photos with the comment:
Glen Lyn, Virginia (on the West Virginia border) where we moved when I was 4 (1955) and lived until moving to Narrows, VA following my 4th grade year. We lived in a Company house (a Sears Roebuck house) on the hill behind the plant. The town was centered around Appalachian Power Co.'s Glen Lyn coal fired power plant where my Dad worked in management. The plant had 6 units having been built in 1918 (4), 1944 (1), and 1957 (1). The plant was shut down in 2014. Glen Lyn was a grand place to live for a little boy that loved trains. The town was literally surrounded by the N&W and Virginian Ry mainlines (N&W steam that transitioned to diesel and the Electrified locomotives of the Virginian) and you couldn't leave town without crossing either one or both of them. The mainlines were also very close to our house and right of ways made great areas play on and watch trains from . Both mainlines served the plant. The area was also truly beautiful. At Glen Lyn the East River flows into the New River. At Glen Lyn the New River Valley is surrounded by significantly high mountains deep within the Appalachians. I enjoyed my time living there!Randall Hampton shared with the comment: "Former crossing of N&W and Virginian."
 |
| 1 |
 |
| 2 |
 |
| 3 |
 |
| 4 |
 |
| Ted Gregory posted A rare pre-electrification era shot of the Virginian Glen Lyn bridge from the N&W HS. This train meet will never be repeated. This masterpiece of a bridge was demo'd, along with several miles of VGN mainline as part of a project to make even more room for US 460 thru the Narrows in VA around 1972. That is a Virginian Rwy passenger train soaring over the New River and an N&W train. Note the cool raw material loads in the gons in the foreground. Doug Bess: The former Virginian right of way was utilized either side of the New River bridge and sister bridge over East River for the US 460 widening. The bridges became isolated which is why they they were removed. Also Hales Gap Tunnel was filled in. Rob Nichols: From the Google overheads it looks as if the westbound lanes of US 460 east of the former bridge must have been built on the original VGN right of way for several miles. It's a safe bet that at least half the ton miles hauled through that gap today use the highway, with the NS line getting the remainder. Doug Bess: Rob Nichols it is the eastbound lanes of US 460 that were built on the former Virginian right of way as far as Narrows |
 |
| eBook via Bridge Hunter |
 |
| safe_image for Demise of the New River Bridge [This includes a nice history of the VGN route. The piers are 90' above water level and the rails are at 120'. The bridge is 2,155' long.] |
The piers are still standing.
 |
| Satellite |
 |
| Doug Bess commented on a post Here is another view of the New River Bridge I took in 1968 looking eastbound. It was quite an impressive structure. I got word that the US 460 widening project would result in the removal of the bridge so I went with a railfan friend at the time to Glen Lyn, VA from the Charleston, WV area to photograph it. |
 |
| Doug Bess commented on a post not a good shot but here is a coal train going across the bridge at Glen Lyn, VA in 1968. Ted Gregory: Wow that's awesome. 6 units! |
 |
| Ted Gregory posted What a sad difference 50 years makes. Glen Lyn, VA Ted Gregory posted Then and now. The massive Virginian Railway New River Trestle in Glen Lyn, VA. The top pic is from the Collection of Tracy Walker. (way b4 my time) The lower pic of the remnant piers is my pic from 7-27-2021. |
 |
| Ted sent me his original photo |
 |
| safe_image for Demise of the New river Bridge |
No comments:
Post a Comment