New tourist train excursion could be coming to Roanoke
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Norfolk Southern is considering donating the Roanoke Belt Line to the Virginia Museum of Transportation.
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Ferguson says, they’ve been working on securing the donation of the Belt Line rails, and the money to launch the excursion for years. But, it’s not a done deal yet.
After completing the restoration of the 611 ‘Steam Queen’, the next most asked for attraction from visitors is a small tourist train through Roanoke, Ferguson said.
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If VMT can secure the tracks from Norfolk Southern, Executive Director Beverly Fitzpatrick says, it will cost nearly four-hundred-thousand dollars to renovate, but it’s a project they believe is worth it.
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Roanoke rail excursion closer to becoming a reality
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The Virginia Transportation Museum recently received a 2.5 mile stretch of track known as the “Roanoke Beltline” as a donation from Norfolk Southern.
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“So much emphasis is on outside now. This parallels the Greenway. We are even talking about getting some pedal powered cars that you could sit on the rails and pedal to Bridge Street and turn around and come back, because that’s the kind of thing that people enjoy today,” Fitzpatrick said.
While the full passenger rail excursion could still be a few years off, the pedal powered rides could happen sooner. In other areas of the country, Fitzpatrick says this has been extremely profitable.
Since taking over ownership of the rails, Fitspatrick says VMT has also received a donation from AEP’s recently closed Glynn Lynn power plant of an engine that could be used for the excursions, as well as passenger cars.
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