ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke’s history is deeply rooted in the railroad.
It was born a railroad town after being selected as a rail hub for the Shenandoah Valley and the Norfolk and Western railroads in 1881.
The Virginia Museum of Transportation honors all aspects of that rich history and attracts people from all over the country.
[Newly launched video feeds let you see Roanoke’s trains from anywhere]
People are enamored by trains. There are rail fans everywhere, watching the rail cams, watching the traffic and just really enjoying it. And you know, The Hotel Roanoke is a piece of that rail heritage as well, so I think that we can really be proud of our rail heritage,” said Catherine Fox, the vice president of public affairs and destination development for Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge.
The railroad continues to be critically important to Roanoke, as Amtrak plans to offer a second train departing the Star City, beginning next year.