Chessie Nature Trail
Encyclopedia
The Chessie Nature Trail is a rail trail
linking Buena Vista, Virginia
with Lexington, Virginia
along the Maury River
.
The 6 miles (9.7 km) trail follows the roadbed of a former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
(C&O) branch line which extended from Glasgow, Virginia
, to Lexington, primarily following the Maury River.
if desired.
Like many of America's canals, the canal was soon replaced by the railroad, in this case a branch line through Buena Vista to Lexington from the C&O mainline through Glasgow. In 1969, a devastating flood
in western Virginia from the remnants of Hurricane Camille
destroyed much of this rail line. The C&O and competitor Norfolk and Western Railway
(N&W) agreed to jointly rebuild only the N&W line which also paralleled the river between Buena Vista and Glasgow, with C&O being granted trackage rights
from Glasgow to Loch Laird, a location on the west side Buena Vista. These trackage rights allowed the C&O to continue to serve several industries in Buena Vista. The C&O tracks beyond the Georgia Bonded Fibers plant near the US 60 crossing of the Maury River were abandoned. This right-of-way was later donated to the Virginia Military Institute
Foundation for the purpose of creating a public walking trail; ownership of the trail is expected to be transferred from the VMI Foundation to VMI in late 2009.
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
linking Buena Vista, Virginia
Buena Vista, Virginia
Buena Vista is an independent city located within the confines of Rockbridge County, Virginia. The population was 6,650 in 2010. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Buena Vista with Rockbridge county for statistical purposes.-Geography:Buena Vista is located at...
with Lexington, Virginia
Lexington, Virginia
Lexington is an independent city within the confines of Rockbridge County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 7,042 in 2010. Lexington is about 55 minutes east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1777.It is home to...
along the Maury River
Maury River
The Maury River is a tributary of the James River in west-central Virginia in the United States. Via the James River, it is part of the watershed of Chesapeake Bay.The Maury flows for its entire length in Rockbridge County...
.
The 6 miles (9.7 km) trail follows the roadbed of a former Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P...
(C&O) branch line which extended from Glasgow, Virginia
Glasgow, Virginia
Glasgow is a town in Rockbridge County, Virginia, United States, at the confluence of the James and Maury Rivers. The population was 1,046 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Glasgow is located at ....
, to Lexington, primarily following the Maury River.
History
During the 1800s, the Maury River was developed with a series of locks and dams which permitted packet boats to transport goods such as agricultural and iron products and passengers from Lexington to the James River at Glasgow and on to Richmond, VirginiaRichmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
if desired.
Like many of America's canals, the canal was soon replaced by the railroad, in this case a branch line through Buena Vista to Lexington from the C&O mainline through Glasgow. In 1969, a devastating flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
in western Virginia from the remnants of Hurricane Camille
Hurricane Camille
Hurricane Camille was the third and strongest tropical cyclone and second hurricane during the 1969 Atlantic hurricane season. The second of three catastrophic Category 5 hurricanes to make landfall in the United States during the 20th century , which it did near the mouth of the Mississippi River...
destroyed much of this rail line. The C&O and competitor Norfolk and Western Railway
Norfolk and Western Railway
The Norfolk and Western Railway , a US class I railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It had headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia for most of its 150 year existence....
(N&W) agreed to jointly rebuild only the N&W line which also paralleled the river between Buena Vista and Glasgow, with C&O being granted trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
from Glasgow to Loch Laird, a location on the west side Buena Vista. These trackage rights allowed the C&O to continue to serve several industries in Buena Vista. The C&O tracks beyond the Georgia Bonded Fibers plant near the US 60 crossing of the Maury River were abandoned. This right-of-way was later donated to the Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
Foundation for the purpose of creating a public walking trail; ownership of the trail is expected to be transferred from the VMI Foundation to VMI in late 2009.