The Norfolk and Western Railway was a United States Class I railroad headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, and established through over 200 mergers between 1838 and 1982.
For most of its history, its motto was "Precision Transportation," and it was known by several nicknames, such as "King Coal" and "British Railway of America." In 1986, the N&W merged with the Southern Railway to form what is now the Norfolk Southern Railway.
The N&W gained recognition for manufacturing its own steam locomotives and hopper cars at the Roanoke Shops. After 1960, it was the last major Class I railroad to operate steam locomotives, with the final Y class 2-8-8-2s retired in 1961.
In December 1959, the N&W merged with the Virginian Railway, a longstanding competitor in the Pocahontas coal region. By 1970, additional mergers with the Nickel Plate Road and Wabash created a network operating 7,595 miles of road and 14,881 miles of track, spanning from North Carolina to New York and from Virginia to Iowa.
In 1980, the N&W combined its business operations with those of the Southern Railway, another profitable carrier, to establish the Norfolk Southern Corporation as a holding company. Both the N&W and Southern Railway continued to function as separate railroads under this unified corporate structure.
In 1982, the Southern Railway was renamed Norfolk Southern Railway, and the holding company transferred control of the N&W to this newly renamed entity.
The Richmond & Danville Railroad was established in Virginia in 1847 and gradually expanded its network to span nine states.
Chartered in 1847, the railroad completed its initial 140-mile stretch between Richmond and Danville, Virginia, by 1856. During the Civil War, it served as a crucial supply route for the Confederate capital. Following the war, the line continued to expand, eventually developing into an extensive network.
By 1890, the Richmond & Danville System encompassed 3,300 miles of track across Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Texas. However, this rapid expansion led to significant financial instability.
Following the bankruptcy of the Richmond and West Point Terminal Railway and Warehouse Company, the Richmond & Danville Company also faced insolvency. Receivers assumed control of its assets, including subsidiaries, on June 15, 1892. Two years later, the company was sold and incorporated into the newly formed Southern Railway Company, which ultimately evolved into Norfolk Southern.