“No Winchester, eh? I guess I should have put my glasses on when I looked at the map.
As for the bridge clearances, I haven't a clue about that.”
Rich,
The NS H-line (Shenandoah Valley Line) passes about 15 miles east of Winchester through Berryville.
CSX has a former B&O Route that runs From Harper’s Ferry into Winchester that crosses NS at a diamond in Charlestown. CSX continues south toward Strasburg, Va (VA not PA!) where it meets with the NS B-line (former Southern railway), with the B-Line crossing the H-line at Riverton Junction at Front Royal, VA.
The Winchester & Western (recently sold) also comes down to Winchester from Hagerstown on an old PRR line.
To the original poster’s comments - there are 2 possible routes from Roanoke to Front Royal, VA - while from Front Royal to Harrisburg is essentially the same:
1) H-line direct from Roanoke to Front Royal/Riverton Junction (Former N&W Shenandoah Valley line): This route would be the shortest and is via Shenandoah and Waynesboro. However, I’ve heard from some folks I respect that either the axle loading or clearances with a J are a problem on this line, but I’m not 100% certain. The N&W never operated Js on this line to the best of my knowledge - instead they used K2 and K2a Class 4-8-2s - And I have never seen a photo of a J on this line either in regular or excursion service except for turning at Riverton Junction. But I have heard of some excursion trips that went up part of the line, as well as NKP 759 operating this line in 1971. Conversely though, today’s six axle locomotives are tipping the scales at up to 265 tons and they are used regularly on this line. The line is relatively light traffic with 2 intermodals (201/202), 2 Mixed freights (15T/16T), empty coal trains as needed, a few locals out of Roanke and Shenandoah, and the occasional chicken feed train to Harrisonburg via Shenandoah. Crew availability might be an issue.
If 611 were to run up this way, a photograph at Solitude and natural bridge would be absolutely amazing.
2) N-line (former N&W mainline) to Lynchburg, Take the Wye at Kinney Yard to the Wye at Montview yard and on to Southern Main, passing through Kemper Street and over the James River Viaduct. Northward through Charlottesville (maybe pausing to say hi to Wick) and taking the B-line at Manassas west to Riverton Junction where they would go north on the H-line towards Hagerstown. It may sound odd to Route them this way but there is generally good crew availability on the Southern side and 611 has run this route many many times on ferry and excursion trips. It’s also the route Amtrak takes from Roanoke except for the B-line portion of course.
North of Riverton Junction it will be the H-line to Hagerstown, old PRR to the Lurgan branch to Harrisburg, take the Wye at CP Capital north past Harris tower up to and crossing over Rockville Viaduct heading west, turn south through Enola yard and along the Port Road across Shocks Mill Viaduct to Columbia, Pa where they’ll get on the Dillerville Secondary at CP Cola and run up to Dillerville Yard (Now the Craig Lewis Yard) at Lancaster, PA. Wait at CP Cork to get on Amtrak and then over to Paradise for the interchange. This route avoids all the high level platforms on Amtrak as well.
For the return trip, they will have to go reverse or be towed to enola and spun on the turntable there to be facing forward for the rest of the journey.
My apologies for the lengthy post.
