The Norfolk Southern Christiansburg District: An Adventure in Modern Mountain Railroading (America Through Time)

Explores Norfolk Southern’s Christiansburg District, highlighting diverse trains, stunning landscapes, and regional history.The Norfolk Southern Christiansburg District: A Modern Mountain Railroad takes a close look of Norfolk Southern’s Christiansburg district mainline operation. We will begin the journey just outside of Roanoke, Virginia’s North yard and work our way west toward the end of the district at the yard in Bluefield, West Virginia. In this 100-mile span we will see many different types of trains tackle the famed Christiansburg grade and the Charleston grade as they head to their final destinations. We will see coal trains rolling back and forth out of the coal fields of West Virginia as they head toward Norfolk, Virginia, for export. There will be intermodal trains speeding east and west moving goods that keep America going. There will also be many other types of trains including freight, grain, and ethanol. These trains will be seen passing through tunnels, soaring over trestles, and meandering around mountains while moving America’s goods back and forth. There will also be some history mixed in of the towns the trains pass through and even how the current railroad came to be. Read more