Virginia Rail History Organization Relocating
The Roanoke Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society is developing a new restoration facility in the Norwich area of Roanoke. After almost 45 years at its location in the former American Viscose plant off 9th Street SE, the Roanoke Chapter has purchased an 16-acre lot near Bridge Street to house its collection of historic railroad equipment. This will provide the group with a permanent home and allow it to improve its restoration facilities and expand preservation activities.
The Chapter’s previous yard had been its home since 1980. Many of the historic locomotives, passenger cars, and freight equipment in their collection has been maintained and restored there. The relocation will facilitate the ongoing revitalization of this part of the city and the mixed-use Riverdale development. Riverdale has supplied vital cooperation and support during the move of the NRHS Chapter’s equipment and operations to their new location.
The new facility will be located in the former Virginia Scrap Iron and Metal property in Norwich. This area was used as a scrap yard from the 1950s through 2008. After the scrap yard closed the property was unused until recently, when the Roanoke Greenway was completed along the river. The Roanoke Chapter acquired the property from OmniSource, LLC of Fort Wayne, Indiana, which has worked closely with the Chapter throughout the process of purchasing a permanent location for their rail collection.
The NRHS Chapter is currently working on designing and building the yard at the new location and moving their rail equipment and other materials to the site. Norfolk Southern has provided significant support in moving their rail equipment and storing it while the new yard is being built.
After the initial steps of building the track and moving the rail collection are complete, the next phase of the project includes refurbishing the buildings already on the property and construction of a new restoration and maintenance facility. This new location will allow for larger and more capable restoration facilities, with room for more indoor shop space.
The long-term plan includes a large building with room for multiple locomotives / cars, additional space for metal and wood fabrication shops, and storage space for equipment, parts, and materials. Future expansion of the yard facilities will also be possible if additional track space is needed. These improved facilities will allow the Chapter to take on larger restoration projects while maintaining the quality work that they have become known for. In the future, the size of the location will allow it to serve as a restoration, repair, and logistical center for other railway preservation efforts in the region.
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“The Chapter would like to thank OmniSource; Norfolk Southern; Riverdale Southeast, LLC.; Jim Thornhill, a partner with Wire Gill LLP, as legal counsel; and everyone else who has helped make this project possible,” said Tim Witt, Chapter president. “The need to relocate our entire operation has been a huge project and financial challenge. This project would not have been possible without the assistance of our partners and volunteers.”
To help offset the costs of moving and outfitting the new restoration yard, the Roanoke Chapter, NRHS, a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization, is conducting a capital fundraising campaign. More information about the project can be found at https://www.roanokenrhs.org/norwichyard
The Roanoke Chapter, NRHS was founded in 1968 in order to preserve the railway history of Southwest Virginia. It became well known for running rail excursions in Virginia and across the country in the 1970s and 1980s. The Chapter has over 30 pieces of rail equipment in its collection, along with the restored Virginian Railway Station located on South Jefferson St. in Roanoke.
If you are interested in volunteering with the Roanoke Chapter to help set up the new yard and restoration facilities, or working on the Chapter’s collection of historic locomotives, passenger cars, and freight equipment, you can find out more about joining the Chapter at https://www.roanokenrhs.org/ or on the Chapter’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/roanokenrhs/