Virginian Railway

The Virginian Railway {{reporting mark|VGN}} was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The VGN was created to transport high quality "smokeless" bituminous coal from southern West Virginia to port at Hampton Roads. Founders William N. Page and Henry H. Rogers quietly built the "Mountains to Sea" railroad right under the noses of the big railroads and the elite group of a few industrialists (so-called "robber barons") who controlled them.

Related Topics:
Class I railroad - Virginia - West Virginia - United States - Hampton Roads - William N. Page - Henry H. Rogers - Robber baron

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Completed in 1909, the Virginian Railway was a modern well-engineered railroad with all new infrastructure and could operate more efficiently than its larger competitors. Throughout a profitable 50-year history, the VGN continued the Page-Rogers philosophy of "paying up front for the best". It achieved best efficiencies in the mountains, rolling piedmont, and flat tidewater terrain. Known for operating the largest and best steam, electric, and diesel motive power, it became nicknamed "Richest Little Railroad in the World." Merged into Norfolk & Western Railway in 1959, a large portion of the former VGN remains in service in the 21st century for the Norfolk Southern Railway, a Class I railroad headquartered in Norfolk a few blocks from the former Virginian Railway offices in Norfolk Terminal Station.

Related Topics:
1909 - Norfolk & Western - 1959 - Norfolk Southern Railway - Class I railroad

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Its story was first told by H. Reid in The Virginian Railway, published in 1961. Although one of the smaller fallen flags of U.S. railroads, the VGN continues over 40 years later to have a loyal following of former employees, modelers, authors, photographers, historians, and preservationists.

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