Book excerpt: This book details the cycle of coal transportation, originating at the market and tells how the railroads of the Appalachian region developed and served this important trade. It concentrates on the Norfolk and Western, Virginian, and Chesapeake & Ohio Railways, but also deals with some of the other lines that hauled coal, including the Baltimore & Ohio, and the Louisville & Nashville. Ideal for historians, model railroaders, and those interested in the region and its coal heritage. The Virginian railway was built for one purpose, to transport coal from West Virginia mines to Tidewater coal piers at Norfolk, Virginia. All its other traffic was incidental to this one mission to be a "coal conveyor," and it served well in tis capacity for 50 years. Illustrations, maps, photos, and drawings on every page.