Review
The Virginia Creeper, the train with the goose-bumpy sounding whistle, will forever be a part of the memories of the folks who lived along its route from Abingdon, Virginia, to Todd, North Carolina. The V-C, which was officially the Abingdon Branch of Norfolk and Western Railway, ran from 1900 to 1977.
Doug McGuinns book, THE VIRGINIA CREEPER: REMEMBERING THE VIRGINIA-CAROLINA RAILWAY, is a loving history of the friendly train, which was the way the old timers affectionately referred to it. McGuinns book isnt so much a technical book about steam trains (although he does include quite a bit of information of value to train buffs and railfans), as it is a celebration of the Creeper as a well-loved family member. The train provided a link to the outside world for many of the families who lived in the isolated hollows and coves of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Two quotes from the book perhap best sums up the trains impact on the people who remember it. Bina Davis, who lived next to the tracks in Washington County, Virginia, remembers that The friendly wave from the train personnel always lifted our egos on days when sometimes all we needed to make the day was a smile or a wave from a friend. Former engineer Fitzhugh Talmadge Nichols, in explaining the importance of the relation between the train crew and the public, says that The opinion of the people who lived along the branch line was very important to the railmen, who tried every way they could to accommodate them. Wed let them off and pick them up from about everywhere they wanted.
Although the Virginia Creeper no longer operates, the tracks taken up in 1977, the Virginia part of the roadbed is now a recreation trail, and is widely used for hiking, biking, horseback riding or by people who want to get lost in their thoughts about the train. There is currently a movement underway to convert portions of the Ashe Couny, North Carolina, section of the roadbed into a trail.
THE VIRGINIA CREEPER; REMEMBERING THE VIRGINIA-CAROLINA RAILWAY is a must-have book for people who want to relive the days of steam trains, and for people with an interest in the rich history of Appalachia, and also for train buffs. -- Book Description
About the Author
Doug McGuinn was born in Spindale, North Carolina, a small town nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. When Doug was five years old, his father quit his job in the cotton mill and became an Air Force cook. For the next fourteen years Doug lived the vagabond life of an air force dependent, calling South Carolina, Libya, Louisiana, Hawaii and Oklahoma home.
Doug now lives in Boone, North Carolina, with his wife and two sons. When Doug, who is an instructor at Wilkes Community College, isnt writing or teaching, he can be found on the Blue Ridge Parkway hiking or running.
