In 2016, the concept of a "Shenandoah Rail Trail" emerged and threatened to permanently abandon the out-of-service, 49-mile Norfolk Southern B-Line extension. Despite this historic Civil War route being impassable in some places due to tree growth, I knew on the day I first laid eyes on this railroad that there was still a bright future for stunning steam excursions and short line freight service. Along with many other locals, I opposed a full rail-to-trail conversion in a state survey and emailed the Shenandoah Rail Trail Exploratory Partnership in 2021 urging the Valley towns and counties to pursue reviving the railroad. We were told plainly that "we tried that" and "rail is dead here" because "clearly Norfolk Southern doesn't want it" because "if rail was viable, it would be here, right?". 

 

That was NOT an adequate response for this energetic Virginia railfan, so I decided to do something about it! What if we could have both rail AND a trail!?

 

My friends and I cofounded the Shenandoah Rail Corridor project; a non-profit coalition of local businesses, organizations and community groups advocating for freight and excursion rail service to boost jobs, revenue and tourism in the Shenandoah Valley. Our objective is a multi-use transportation solution by which a recreational trail will be constructed within a re-activated railroad right-of-way. It's called "Rails-WITH-Trails", and it's been done all across America for over 40 years!

 

Though our common-sense, compromise solution has been opposed by special-interest trail advocates and a billion-dollar rail-to-trail machine at every turn, my team and I have logged thousands of hours collaborating on this righteous endeavor, hence my long-term hiatus from railfanning videos on YouTube. Saving a railroad takes a LOT of time; who knew?! In addition to my full time career in transportation, I have been the media manager for the project and intend to see this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity through to completion.

 

As they sang on the Norfolk & Western Railway (my home rails), "There's no stopping us!"    

 

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." - Galatians 6:9