In the pantheon of American railroading, few stories capture the imagination quite like those of lines that have faded into history. All across the country are stretches of overgrown roadbed that were once arteries of commerce and travel.
Among these forgotten chapters, the East Broad Top Railroad and the Virginian Railway are examples of how economic forces and shifting transportation patterns can transform thriving industries into historical footnotes. These stories, preserved in remarkable detail through dedicated historians and photographers, offer profound insights into the twilight years of American railroading’s golden age.
The East Broad Top Railroad
The East Broad Top Railroad occupies a unique place in American railroad history as one of the last surviving narrow-gauge railroads east of the Rocky Mountains. Built in the 1870s to serve the coal mines of central Pennsylvania, this 33-mile line connected the mining town of Rockhill Furnace to Mount Union, where it interchanged with the Pennsylvania Railroad. What made the EBT special wasn’t just its 3-foot gauge (unusual for eastern railroads) but its remarkable preservation of 19th-century railroading practices well into the modern era.
The railroad's story might have ended like so many others: declining traffic, abandoned rails, and scrapped equipment. Coal mining in the region peaked in the early 20th century, and by the 1940s, the EBT was already showing signs of decline. Diesel trucks increasingly handled local freight, and the Pennsylvania Railroad's own modernization efforts made the narrow-gauge connection less vital. The writing seemed on the wall for this quirky mountain railroad.
However, the East Broad Top’s fate took an unexpected turn that would captivate railroad enthusiasts for decades to come. Rather than immediate abandonment, the railroad entered a period of decline and partial resurrection that has been meticulously documented in “Twilight and Dawn on the East Broad Top Railroad 1945-1965,” available through The Trains.com Store. This remarkable book captures the railroad during its most intriguing era. when steam locomotives still worked the line sporadically, maintenance crews struggled to keep ancient equipment operational, and the question of the railroad's survival hung in the balance.
The period covered in this essential volume reveals the EBT as a living museum of 19th-century railroading, complete with Baldwin steam locomotives, wooden freight cars, and operating practices that had vanished elsewhere decades earlier. Photographers and railroad enthusiasts discovered this time capsule, documenting equipment and operations that provided an authentic glimpse into railroading's past. The book showcases this unique period through rare photographs and detailed accounts of the railroad's final commercial operations and early tourist ventures.
Virginian Rails
While the East Broad Top represented railroading's past persisting into the modern era, the Virginian Railway embodied cutting-edge technology and massive scale operations during its relatively brief existence. Completed in 1909 as the vision of industrialist Henry Huttleston Rogers, the Virginian was designed from the ground up as a coal-hauling railroad connecting West Virginia's coalfields to the port of Norfolk, Virginia.
What set the Virginian apart was its approach to engineering and operations. The railroad featured some of the heaviest rail, strongest bridges, and most powerful locomotives ever built. Its electric locomotives, including the massive EL-C units, could haul trains that dwarfed those of other railroads. The Virginian experimented with everything from electric traction to advanced signaling systems.
Despite that engineering excellence and profitability through much of its existence, the Virginian Railway lasted only until 1959, when it was merged into the Norfolk and Western Railway. This merger eliminated one of America’s most distinctive and technologically advanced railroads, and in the end, Virginian Rails ended up as a fascinating case study in how even successful railroads could disappear through consolidation.
The comprehensive story of the Virginian’s final decades is detailed in “Virginian Rails 1953-1993,” which covers the railroad’s final years of independent operation and everything that eventually happened to its routes, equipment, and facilities after the Norfolk and Western merger. The book provides insight into how railroad consolidations actually work on the ground: which lines survive, which are abandoned, and how infrastructure gets repurposed or scrapped.
Fallen Flag Railroads
The contrast between these two railroads couldn’t be more striking, but their stories represent common themes in American railroad history. The East Broad Top, tiny and antiquated, somehow survived decades longer than the massive, modern Virginian, a result of the many complex factors that determined railroad survival in the 20th century.
The Virginian’s fate demonstrates how even profitable, well-engineered railroads could become victims of consolidation. The Norfolk and Western saw value in the Virginian’s coal routes and port facilities but had no need for a separate corporate identity or redundant infrastructure. Within years of the merger, much of what made the Virginian unique had been standardized or eliminated.
Meanwhile, the East Broad Top’s survival (even in increasingly limited form) came partly through its insignificance. Too small to interest major railroads as a takeover target, it lingered on the margins of the transportation industry. When tourist operations began in the 1960s, the EBT found new purpose as a heritage railroad, preserving its equipment and its operational philosophy.
These railroad stories illustrate how technological change and corporate strategies reshape entire industries. The Virginian’s demise shows how consolidation, even of successful companies, can eliminate distinctive approaches to engineering and operations. The East Broad Top’s persistence demonstrates how niche operations can sometimes survive by finding new purposes and passionate advocates.
Today, portions of both railroad systems survive in different forms. The East Broad Top has experienced a remarkable renaissance, with restoration efforts bringing steam locomotives back to life for tourist operations. The Virginian’s legacy lives on in the Norfolk Southern system, though much of its distinctive character has been absorbed into modern operations.
Both stories also highlight the crucial role of documentation in preserving industrial history. Without the photographers, historians, and authors who captured these railroads during their transition periods, much of their significance would be lost.
At shop.trains.com, we’ve curated a selection of historical accounts about many now-defunct railways. For the highest quality books and merchandise featuring historical organizations, check out our Fallen Flags collection.
These stories remind us that behind every abandoned railroad grade and forgotten junction, there are human stories of ambition, innovation, adaptation, and sometimes failure. There’s inherent value in preserving these narratives while witnesses and documentation still exist.
Stories like this, preserved in remarkable detail, continue to inform our understanding of transportation history and the forces that shaped modern America.
If you’re fascinated by the grand engineering achievements of North American railway history, add these essentials to your locomotive library today.
- Written by Matt Herr