Do you know when the Narrow Gauge Railroad began operation in Powhatan County (this would be the route between Richmond and Farmville Virginia)? We appreciate your answer. We are working on some questions for our 1850 anniversary of our church in Powhatan County and we know the Narrow Gauge railroad ran through our community because the bed is about 200 yards from our house. Thank you very much for any help you can give us Tom and Diane Walton

-- Tom and Diane Walton (ditomwalton@ctsi.net), September 02, 2000

Answers

This narrow guage extended from Farmville on the west to a connection at the James River at Bermuda Hundred, SE of Richmond. From Powhatan Courthouse westward, stations were Macon, Belona, Ballsville, Sunnyside, Grays siding, Cumberland, McRae's, Antioch Fork, Raines, and Farmville. From P. CH. eastward, stations were Flat Rock, Moseley (intersection with Richmond & Danville/Southern RR) Skinquarter, Coalboro (a spur south ran south here to the Appomattox River) Summitt, Perdue, Beach, Nash, Chester, and Bermuda Hundred. Little remains....cuts and fills can be seen along north side of US60 near Flat Rock, and near Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield Co. Greg Hodges

-- Greg Hodges (ghodges@smpsfa.com), September 17, 2000.

I assume you are asking about the Farmville & Powhaton Railroad. Under that name it operated from about 1889 to 1905 when it became the Tidewater and Western. The line was dismantled in June of 1918 and shipped to France! The line apparently started as the Clover Hill Railroad in 1845. See George W. Hilton's "American Narrow Gauge Railroads" for more details.

-- Jerry Dowling (jdowling@lcc.net), September 10, 2000.