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Virginia Air Line Railway




The Virginia Air Line Railroad was completed on September 29 , 1909 , and was merged into C&O in 1912 .

The purpose for which the VAL was built was to move loads that were too high or too wide to pass through the tunnels of the Blue Ridge Mountain Complex between Charlottesville and Waynesboro . In addition, Coal for Washington, D.C and Northern Virginia came down the James River Line to Strathmore, then up the VAL and on through Gordonsville .

On August 1 , 1973 , the last round trip train ran on the VAL, and in 1975, the VAL was officially abandoned. By 1978 , track removal was completed.