The collection is open for research.
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.
Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction. Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Norfolk & Western Railway Company Construction Site Photographs, Ms1997-027, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
The Norfolk & Western Railway Company Construction Site Photographs were purchased by Special Collections in 1997.
Initial processing, arrangement, and description of the Norfolk & Western Railway Company Construction Site Photographs was completed in 1997. Additional description was completed in 2015.
The Norfolk & Western Railway was established through a reorganization of the bankrupt Norfolk and Western Railroad in 1896, the latter company itself having arisen from the Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio Railroad, a successor to the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad. In order to raise capital to pay off debt, meet its payroll and other obligations, and make continued improvements to the line, the new company issued $23 million in preferred stock, $66 million in common stock, and $62.5 million gold bonds paying four percent, secured through a consolidated mortgage to the Mercantile Trust Company of New York.
Through expansion and various mergers, the company grew to become a major U.S. carrier, serving 14 states. The company manufactured steam locomotives at its own Roanoke Machine Works (established in Roanoke, Virginia in 1882), and among the railroad's affiliated holdings were several hotels. In 1982, the N&W combined with the Southern Railway to form Norfolk Southern Corporation.
The Norfolk & Western Railway Company Construction Site Photographs includes approximately 360 photographs (and in some cases, photocopies of photographs) of railroad construction in Southwest Virginia. The majority of images date from 1967-1981.
The photographs are organized in chronological order, with undated photographs at the end.
Special Collections and University Archives includes many other collections relating to railroad history in this region, as well as Norfolk & Western Railway, Norfolk & Western Railroad, and various subsidiaries. You can browse and search within a list of these collections online.
The guide to the Norfolk & Western Railway Company Construction Site Photographs by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).