Virginia Blue Ridge Railway
Encyclopedia
The Virginia Blue Ridge Railway (VBR) is a historic intrastate short line railroad that operated in central Virginia
in the 20th century.
The company was incorporated in 1914, and construction was started in 1915. The VBR extended from Tye River Depot
in Nelson County
, where it interchanged with the Southern Railway
, to Massies Mill
. The railroad followed the course of the Tye and Piney Rivers for several miles before entering the mountains. It was initially built to haul chestnut
for lumber out of the heavily-timbered Piney River area to local mills until World War I
. The chestnut blight
wiped out much of the timbered areas. However, the railroad later served several quarries in the area where titanium dioxide
and aplite
were mined. It passed through the communities of Roses Mill, Piney River, Canopy, Lowesville, and Buffalo Mine.
The line was abandoned in 1980. In the early 21st century, part of the roadbed was being developed as a rails-to-trails
project, the Blue Ridge Railway Trail
.
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
in the 20th century.
The company was incorporated in 1914, and construction was started in 1915. The VBR extended from Tye River Depot
Tye River, Virginia
Tye River is an unincorporated community in Nelson County, Virginia, United States.-References:*...
in Nelson County
Nelson County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,445 people, 5,887 households, and 4,144 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile . There were 8,554 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile...
, where it interchanged with the Southern Railway
Southern Railway (US)
The Southern Railway is a former United States railroad. It was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined beginning in the 1830s, formally becoming the Southern Railway in 1894...
, to Massies Mill
Massies Mill, Virginia
Massies Mill is an unincorporated community in Nelson County, Virginia, United States. It is located on State Route 56 adjacent to the headwaters of the Tye River...
. The railroad followed the course of the Tye and Piney Rivers for several miles before entering the mountains. It was initially built to haul chestnut
Chestnut
Chestnut , some species called chinkapin or chinquapin, is a genus of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.-Species:The chestnut belongs to the...
for lumber out of the heavily-timbered Piney River area to local mills until World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The chestnut blight
Chestnut blight
The pathogenic fungus Cryphonectria parasitica is a member of the ascomycota category, and is the main cause of chestnut blight, a devastating disease of the American chestnut tree that caused a mass extinction in the early 1900s of this once plentiful tree from its historic range in the eastern...
wiped out much of the timbered areas. However, the railroad later served several quarries in the area where titanium dioxide
Titanium dioxide
Titanium dioxide, also known as titanium oxide or titania, is the naturally occurring oxide of titanium, chemical formula . When used as a pigment, it is called titanium white, Pigment White 6, or CI 77891. Generally it comes in two different forms, rutile and anatase. It has a wide range of...
and aplite
Aplite
Aplite in petrology, the name given to intrusive rock in which quartz and feldspar are the dominant minerals. Aplites are usually very fine-grained, white, grey or pinkish, and their constituents are visible only with the help of a magnifying lens...
were mined. It passed through the communities of Roses Mill, Piney River, Canopy, Lowesville, and Buffalo Mine.
The line was abandoned in 1980. In the early 21st century, part of the roadbed was being developed as a rails-to-trails
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...
project, the Blue Ridge Railway Trail
Blue Ridge Railway Trail
The Blue Ridge Railway Trail is a rail trail in Virginia.It is a gravel surface recreational trail used for biking, hiking and horseback riding and occupies an abandoned Virginia Blue Ridge Railway corridor....
.