Rail played a central role in the development of Roanoke. (Photo Cameron Davidson courtesy Visit Virginia)
Roanoke is known for the electric lighted star on Mill Mountain, but it’s also steeped in train history. Once known as “Big Lick,” for a large salt lick formation along the Roanoke River, this southwest Virginia city changed its name and boomed because of its links to railroads in the 1800s. Today, ribbons of track prominently crisscross the area and cut a swath through Roanoke’s downtown. Locals and visitors appreciate the presence of the trains as an economic driver and a cultural component. It’s a legacy reflected in eateries with names inspired by trains, in museum displays and in a four-diamond hotel and conference center that was built by a rail magnate in the 1880s. It’s also a prime locale for train-watchers.
Tracking trains
I stayed at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center. Constructed in 1882 by the Norfolk & Western Railroad Co., the Tudor-style building harkens back to a stylish era of travel.
The sleek design of the 1882 lobby bar resembles a Norfolk & Western Railway passenger station with an enchanting ceiling mural of a night sky. The details at the hotel’s Steam Coffee + Eatery recall a train waiting room; its name evokes the Norfolk & Western Class J 611 engine that was fabricated in Roanoke and remains a local point of pride.
The hotel and conference center offers rocking chairs on the verandas where you can watch trains roll by, or you can get a room that faces the tracks. There is a sense of excitement each time a train ding-dings and clickity-clacks by. For the train lover, the chug-chug sound is a comforting serenade.
Train watching proved a popular pastime on the glass pedestrian overpass that links the hotel to the city’s downtown. Signage on the overpass explains that looking east, you’ll see tracks that split off to destinations in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Norfolk. We met a lifelong train fanatic who was on the overpass with a clicker to count the cars (there were 89) on a coal-laden train headed east from the mountains to the port of Norfolk for shipment. As he spoke, he listened to a radio, monitoring behind-the-scenes chatter of the train’s crew.
Nearby, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. memorial pedestrian bridge allows for a clearer view of the estimated 40 passenger and freight trains that pass through the city each day, according to railfanlocations.weebly.com. Since you can’t be trackside at all hours, there’s a live Roanoke Rail Cam on YouTube.
Virginia Museum of Transportation (Photo by Jennifer Griffin)
Get Moving
Soak in more rail history by meandering along the rail-walk path that parallels the Norfolk Southern Mainline to visit the Virginia Museum of Transportation. Its extensive rail collection includes cabooses, an old mail train that traversed Virginia, and the massive Class A and Class J locomotives. It’s worth a visit to simply stand next to these elegant, beautiful and fearsome engines to understand their heft and gravity. The wheels alone are as big as an adult. Kids are drawn to an extensive Lionel model railroad display. Numerous installations highlight the 611 steam locomotive, which is operating as an excursion train through October in Pennsylvania.
An exhibit on the contributions of Black train workers depicts how these men and women were instrumental in maintaining train culture by pampering travelers, preparing food on the cars and repairing the rails outside of them.
The Historical Society of Western Virginia, housed in what was once the city’s sleek passenger train station, showcases the late O. Winston Link’s photographs featuring compositions that famously juxtaposed steam railroads and rural culture. His efforts and life are a mix of melodrama and methodical use of technology that produced one-of-a-kind, rail-focused visual and sound art.
The River and Rail (Photo by Josh Park courtesy Visit Virginia)
Off-Track Delights
A colorful mosaic of a Black Pullman porter adorns an entrance to the Roanoke City Market, linking to the city’s rail heritage and beckoning hungry tourists to try the culinary delights within.
Restaurants around Roanoke such as The Great 611 Steak Company and The Roanoker Restaurant, which says it has been serving “good food at good prices since 1941,” also highlight train themes.
The River and Rail bistro presents phenomenal modern Southern fare with humble standouts including its jar of pickles and plate of heirloom grains of earthy grits and seasonal vegetables.
Get off track at the fantastic Bread Craft bakery for pastries and coffee for a picnic along the Roanoke River Greenway. You can eat on the patio at The Green Goat restaurant along the path in the Wasena neighborhood to continue train-watching. Walk or bike off the treats along the 14-plus miles of paved scenic trails. A train will assuredly go by.
