Virginia Central Railroad

Overview

• HeadquartersRichmond¹

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The Virginia Central Railroad (reporting mark VC) was an early railroad in the U.S. state of Virginia that operated between 1850 and 1868 from Richmond westward for 206 miles (332 km) to Covington. Chartered in 1836 as the Louisa Railroad by the Virginia General Assembly, the railroad began near the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad's line and expanded westward to Orange County, reaching Gordonsville by 1840. In 1849, the Blue Ridge Railroad was chartered to construct a line over the Blue Ridge Mountains for the Louisa Railroad which reached the base of the Blue Ridge in 1852. After a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, the Louisa Railroad was allowed to expand eastward from a point near Doswell to Richmond. Most of the railroad was constructed by Irish immigrant labor, or enslaved African Americans who were typically leased out by their enslavers to individuals contracted to build portions of the railroad.²

Acquisitions

1. Succeeded by Chesapeake and Ohio Railway¹

Timeline

1. Jul 1, 1878Dissolved Dissolved¹
2. 1868Renamed Name changed to Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad¹
3. 1850Renamed Name changed to Virginia Central Railroad¹
4. Feb 18, 1836Founded Founded¹

Links

• WikipediaVirginia Central Railroad
• More imagesWikimedia Commons
• WikidataQ3560669