Virginia and Tennessee Railroad facts for kids
The Virginia and Tennessee Railroad was an important railroad in the Southern United States. It used a special track width called a 5 ft (1,524 mm) gauge. Much of this old railroad is now part of the modern Norfolk Southern Railway. It played a very important role in helping the Confederacy during the American Civil War.
Contents
Building the Railroad: Early Days
The Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, often called the V&T, was built in the 1850s. It ran all the way through southwestern Virginia. The railroad started in Lynchburg and went through a gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains. This was near a town called Big Lick, which is now the city of Roanoke. From there, it turned southwest and followed a large valley to Bristol. The total distance was about 204 miles (328 km).
The government of Virginia at first did not want to pay for the railroad. So, the city of Lynchburg decided to create it themselves. On March 24, 1848, they officially started the Lynchburg and Tennessee Railroad. John R. McDaniel was the first president. He had already helped start other companies in Lynchburg.
Building the railroad tracks began in 1850. On February 18, 1852, the railroad's first train, called the "Virginia," was tested. It steamed out of Lynchburg and climbed the nearby hills. Regular freight service, which means carrying goods, started soon after. The entire railroad line to Bristol was finished on October 1, 1856.
The V&T railroad helped the areas it ran through grow quickly. Towns like Bristol, which used to be small, became important centers for trade and communication.
The Railroad During the Civil War
During the American Civil War, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad became very important. Robert L. Owen Sr., who had worked as an engineer for the railroad, became its president. The V&T was a key route for the Confederate States Army. It moved supplies, food, and soldiers. It was especially important for connecting the Confederate capital of Richmond to areas further inland like Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The V&T also moved important raw materials. These included copper from mines near Cleveland, Tennessee, lead from mines near Bristol, and salt from Saltville, Virginia. It also moved saltpeter, which was used to make gunpowder, from caves in the region.
Union forces tried to stop the railroad's operations. They launched several cavalry raids to interrupt service. Finally, in late 1864, Union forces captured much of the railroad. They destroyed tracks and trains to prevent the Confederacy from using them.
New Leadership: The Mahone Years
After the Civil War, the railroad was rebuilt. It came under the control of a former Confederate general named William Mahone. He was already in charge of two other railroads, the South Side Railroad and the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad. By the end of 1867, Mahone became president of the V&T. He wanted to combine these three railroads and build even more lines to the west. He worked for several years to get the Virginia government to approve his plans.
In 1870, the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad became part of Mahone's new company, the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad. People sometimes joked that the letters A, M & O stood for "All Mine and Otelia's," referring to Mahone and his wife.
At first, the A, M & O railroad made good money. But then, a big economic problem called the Financial Panic of 1873 happened. This caused many businesses, including railroads, to struggle. Mahone tried to work with the people in England and Scotland who had invested in the railroad, but their relationship got worse. After several years of financial trouble, Mahone's time as a railroad builder ended in 1881. This is when companies from the North bought the A, M, & O and changed its name to Norfolk and Western.
Mahone helped make sure that some of the money from the sale of the railroad went to a good cause. It helped start a school to train teachers. These teachers would then help educate Black children and former slaves. This school, called the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute, later grew into Virginia State University.
The Railroad Today
The Norfolk & Western Railway (N&W) grew much larger over time. It expanded west into coal mining areas and became a huge railroad system. One hundred years later, in 1982, the N&W combined with another successful railroad, the Southern Railway. Together, they formed the Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS).
Today, much of the original Virginia and Tennessee Railroad is still used by Norfolk Southern (NS). This large company, which is based in Norfolk, Virginia, transports many different goods. These include coal, shipping containers, car parts, and finished vehicles. They play a big role in today's global transportation system.
Images for kids
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Virginia and Tennessee Railroad map near Dublin Depot
