Skip to main content

Norfolk & Western Railroad and Railway Company Records

 Collection
Identifier: Ms-2017-015

Scope and Contents

The collection includes administrative documents and correspondence from the Norfolk & Western Railroad Company (later the Norfolk & Western Railway Company) dating from 1876 to about 1935. There are receipts and billing documents, letters, telegrams, and internal reports, as well as a few maps, blueprints, and handwritten notes. The collection is arranged into two series: Administrative Records and Correspondence.

Dates

  • 1876-1935, n.d.

Creator

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from Norfolk & Western Railroad and Railway Company Records must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Historical Note

The Norfolk & Western Railroad originated with the 1838 chartering of the City Point Railroad, a line between Petersburg and City Point, Virginia. The line was purchased by the South Side Railroad in 1854, which, in turn, merged with the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad and the Norfolk & Petersburg Railroad, forming the Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio Railroad in 1870. The AM&O fell into bankruptcy and was purchased in 1881, the new owners incorporating under the name Norfolk and Western Railroad, with a line extending from Virginia's coast to Southwest Virginia. The N&W went into receivership in 1895 and was reorganized as the Norfolk & Western Railway the following year.

Extent

0.3 Cubic Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The collection includes administrative documents and correspondence from the Norfolk & Western Railroad Company (later the Norfolk & Western Railway Company) dating from 1876 to about 1935. There are receipts and billing documents, letters, telegrams, and internal reports, as well as a few maps, blueprints, and handwritten notes.

Arrangement

Series I: Administrative Records, 1883-1935, n.d., primarily includes internal handwritten and type reports and a variety of billing documents and receipts. In addition, it contains one published 1892 N&W Railroad agreement, some internal circulars, some ephemeral notes, and three maps/blueprints.

This series is arranged by type of material. Within each folder, whenever possible, materials are in chronological order with undated items as the back of the folder.

Series II: Correspondence, 1876-1914, n.d. contains letters written to and from N&W Railroad Company and N&W Railway Company between 1876 and 1906. It also includes a small collection of telegrams to the company, sent between 1896 and 1914. The correspondence exchanges between the railroad and other companies, individuals, and clients.

This series is arranged by type of material. Within each material type. items are in chronological order, with undated items at the back of the folder.

Acquisition Information

The Norfolk & Western Railroad and Railway Company Records were purchased by Special Collections in March 2017.

Related Materials

Special Collections continued to collection materials relating to railroad history. We have more than 30 collections of materials from the Norfolk & Western Railroad Company, the Norfolk & Western Railway Company, and many subsidiary and associated companies. A list of Norfolk & Western collections can be viewed here. A list of larger list of all our railroad manuscript collections can be viewed here.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Norfolk & Western Railroad and Railway Company Records was completed in June 2017.

Title
Norfolk & Western Railroad and Railway Company Records, 1876-1935, n.d.
Status
Completed
Author
Kira A. Dietz, Archivist
Date
©2017 Virginia Tech. All rights reserved.
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository

Contact:
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308