Questions – New River Division

From a photograph that I had purchased a few years ago, I recently determined that the shot of the J class locomotive # 601 steaming out of the tunnel was taken at Castle Rock-Pembroke, Virginia. One thing leads to another and I began to review the New River Division. Why were there two sets of tracks on either side of the river? Was this to accommodate the traffic loads or separate the types of traffic i.e. freight/passenger? Did the lines rejoin again further west?

There were two different railroads; Virginian on one side of the river and N&W on the other.

A note about Pembroke in the March, 1950 Official Guide says, ""N&W and Virginian are about 1/2 mile apart on opposite sides of river, connection by bridge."

Virginian train 3-103 stopped at Pembroke at 9:24 a.m. (flag stop). VGN train 104-4 stopped at Pembroke at 237 p.m. (also a flag stop).

N&W train 15, the "Cavalier" stopped at Pembroke at 820 a.m. Train 23 stopped at 818 p.m. (flag stop).

N&W train 16 "Cavalier" stopped at 1024 p.m. (flag stop) and train 24 at 10:00 a.m.

Most of the double track line is now under Rte 460.

Hope this helps.

Work safe

Thanks Colamine

This now makes sense .

Chuck