News & Reviews News Wire Page County Railway Museum opens in N&W Luray depot NEWSWIRE

Page County Railway Museum opens in N&W Luray depot NEWSWIRE

By Angela Cotey | June 5, 2015

| Last updated on November 3, 2020


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LURAY, Va. – The town of Luray, working in cooperation with the Page County Railroad Club, has opened the Page County Railway Museum in the former Norfolk & Western depot. The project was more than 10 years in the making. It features exhibits tracing the history of railroading in Page County, with items such as tickets, dining car memorabilia and timetables. There are also several photos from the collection of the Norfolk & Western Historical Society. The model railroad club, which started in 1992, constructed a scale layout of the N&W through Page County in the restored station.

The town is located along U.S. routes 211 and 340 in northern Virginia.

The depot was built in 1906 and was designed by N&W’s chief engineer, Charles S. Churchill. The structure was partially destroyed by fire in 1908 when struck by lightning, but was reconstructed according to the original design. The station is a one-story brick structure featuring a hip roof.

The building was converted to freight use around 1960 and was sold to the town of Luray by Norfolk Southern in 1999. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on Jan. 27, 2000.

In the 1950s, famed photographer O. Winston Link visited Luray and shot two of his most famous photos in the town. “Luray Crossing” features an elevated crossing shanty and crossing gates with a Class Y 2-8-8-2 steaming by and was shot in 1955. “Hawksbill Creek Swimming Hole” was photographed on Aug. 9, 1956, and includes a family swimming while a Y crosses high above on a bridge.

One thought on “Page County Railway Museum opens in N&W Luray depot NEWSWIRE

  1. Luray is a great place. Make sure to visit Luray Caverns there, home of the great stalactite organ that plays "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." There is also a historical museum connected to the grounds, which, if I recall correctly, besides an old printing press, also has plenty of old vehicles.

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