I'd love to propose the Abingdon Branch of the Norfolk & Western Railway which gave the Norfolk & Western access to Elkland, North Carolina from Abingdon, Virginia. The line began life as the Abingdon Coal and Iron Company in 1900, before being renamed the Virginia-Carolina before entering the N&W consortia in 1918. The line was abandoned by the N&W when a flood damaged the line in 1977. I'm proposing the line sometime in the late 40s into the early 1950s. When steam was still king on the N&W. NORFOLK AND WESTERN: ABINGDON BRANCH "Climb into the hills of Virginia, as you serve mountain communities along the famed Abingdon Branch of the Norfolk and Western. From coal runs to the legendary Virginia Creeper mixed train, this branch line has it all, and great photogenic spots so you can be like O. Winston Link." N&W ABINGDON BRANCH SCENARIOS Coal to Abingdon. Climb aboard one of N&W's legendary M-class 4-8-0 Mastadon's, and bring a coal train to the mainline from the coalfields. Virginia Creeper, Part 1. Take charge of the legendary Virginia Creeper mixed train from Abingdon to Konnarock. Switching customers, delivering critical supplies, and providing passenger service to the mountain communities. Virginia Creeper, Part 2. Finish the run to Elkland. Same objectives as Part 1. NRHS Fantrip: A group of railfans has chartered a fan trip up the branch line and you are tasked with giving them a great ride to Elkland, stopping along the way to perform some photo run-bys. Abingdon Inspection Train: It's that time of the year again. (No, not tax season.) But, inspection time! Time to take some officials of the company up the branch to perform routine inspections to make sure things are on the up and up. N&W Abingdon Branch Equipment. Norfolk & Western M-2 4-8-0. Built by Baldwin, and the N&W at home in Roanoke, so they'd make a nice addition. For passenger cars, we could utilize a baggage car, baggage-passenger combination car, and a coach or two. Hopper cars, flat cars, boxcars, etcetera to make the freight cars. If you wish to see images, along with other miscellaneous subjects to the branch, check out this spread on the Norfolk & Western Historical Society, shown here: https://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/listdocs/select.php?index=d&id=15
Fantastic idea! I'd love to see this come to train simulator! I tend to favor mainline routes when it comes to steam era stuff, but shortline steam can also be pretty fun too! I really like that you included ideas for scenarios as well. Only issue I see with this proposal is that there would be only one locomotive. Perhaps something like an S1a 0-8-0 (these were mainly used for yard duties, but I remember hearing somewhere that they were occasionally used on branch lines from time to time) or maybe even a 1st generation diesel like a GP9 could be included with the route as well?
Buynot: Oh, yes. I forgot about the S-1-a 0-8-0's. Based on the thirty S-1 0-8-0's the Chesapeake and Ohio sold to N&W! I have a scenario in mind for them if they were included. ABINGDON YARD DUTIES One of the previous engineers assigned to the yard in Abingdon has left claiming illness. Finish the yard chores and a few transfers to industries around town on the mainline, and prepare the daily Creeper mixed.
