Touring the Brandywine & Benedictine Railroad

The tour of Norm Stenzel’s Brandywine and Benedictine model railroad begins with a group of notorious railfans waiting for train 119 to arrive at Alleghany. The southbound ridge runner appears out of the Alleghany Tunnel. After some discussion with the authorities, the adventurers are allowed on board with no resistance by the police. At Crow, West Virginia the 847 passes Wishbone Mine Number 2, the biggest on the division.

There train 119 moves by the Attaway Furniture Company while fans take pictures. The railroad keeps an eye on them. A police car continues to follow the cash van as the ridge runner heads into the north end of Ashwood Tunnel. There another cameraman gets photos of the north fork of Barbour’s Creek at State Line Tunnel on the border of Virginia and West Virginia.

The train is now in Virginia and the steel truss bridge gets 119 over Barbour’s Creek. The Pocahontas Coal Company operates out of Beatrice, with the Lodge Woods Products Company in the foreground. Next through Natural Tunnel which was etched by millions of years of water flowing from cracks in the limestone. Next it travels by Pioneer Coal, another busy spot and then to the north end of Barry Knob Tunnel with the Alleghany viaduct above.

Next it’s on to New Castle, Virginia where the camera man stops again, blocking traffic. 119 ducks out between the a publishing house and mill works. Since the sun is going down, the rail fans will stop for the night if they have any sense. The police seem to be closing in on them. The sun sets as the 282 and 482 head into Virginia. Salem roundhouse is a busy spot where all running repairs are made, most passengers will get off here and a welcoming party waits for them. After servicing, the ridge runner heads out for Winston Salem. It’s dark as the train heads into the staging yard.