Can anyone help me with information like mileposts, signals and siding lengths for the old Southern line that ran through Front Royal, Strasburg and Woodstock, VA. I will be modelling this area using Microsoft Train Simulator and this information is very useful.

David Phillips

-- David Phillips (david.phillips@med.monash.edu.au), January 17, 2002

Answers

Your best bet for information on mileposts and siding lengths would be a Southern Railway (or maybe Norfolk Southern) employee timetable for the line. These are often available at swap meets and some dealers advertise them in Trains or Model Railroader classified ads.

If you want more information about the line from an employee view and what it was like to operate, I suggest you see if you can buy either of two books. E. R. Conner III published "Railroading on the Washington Division" in 1986 and "Washington Division Railroad Album" in 1988. The former is a 143 page 6"x9" book; the latter a 150 page, 9"x11" glossy page book. Both were privately published and were available from Mr. Conner at REF Publishing, 9400 Fairview Avenue, Manassas VA 22110-5802. I obtained both a few years ago, although I don't know if Mr. Conner still is at this address or has any left. You might want to drop him a letter.

-- Tom Warne (twar@chevron.com), January 22, 2002.