Mountain railroading is almost a thing of the past. The glory days
of the railroads here ended almost a generation ago, but the
memories - and the traces still remain.
The Norfolk & Western Railroad opened Ashe County to the
rest of the world when it arrived in 1915. Its nickname, the
"Virginia Creeper" came about because its often slow service. In
its heyday, the train was a familiar site between Abingdon, Va.,
and Todd, which is on the border of Ashe and Watauga counties.
The railroad had authorization to operate in Virginia and North
Carolina. Working hard to extend the rail line into Mountain City,
a new rail company in Winston-Salem was granted permission to
operate to North Wilkesboro. It was believed that this would only
end up being extended to West Jefferson. Fear of loosing their
permit to operate in North Carolina, the rail line abandoned its
efforts toward Mountain City. The line went on toward West
Jefferson, which ran to Whitetop, Lansing NC, finally ending up in
Elkland (now Todd). The line from West Jefferson to Elkland was
abandoned in the early 1930s from floodwaters washing out bridges
and track. By that time the depression was in full force and work
toward Mountain City never restarted.
After the track was removed, local traffic began to use the old
rail bed. Today the road is paved and remains about its original
width. Cars meeting each other need to pull over to let the other
one pass. You get a glimpse of the old Virginia Creeper on Railroad
Grade Road in Ashe County. To get there, travel north on U.S. 221
from Deep Gap north towards West Jefferson. Along the way, watch
for two bridges in a broad valley where the South Fork of the New
River runs through. On your right, you'll see the remains of a
railroad bridge. Just north of there, past the old Fleetwood
School, you will see a road sign for "Railroad Grade Road" on the
left. Railroad Grade Road actually follows the route of the old
railroad. This ride runs right along one of the most beautiful
parts of the New River. Because it is level, it is a premier family
bicycling destination, so watch out for cyclists as you drive
along.
This is your ticket for the past, and a cache along the way. You
are seeking a quart sized plastic container. In addition to the
log, it holds numerous trade items. Please be sure the lid is on
tight before returning the container to its hiding spot.