the Richmond and Alleghany Railroad built on the towpath of the James River and Kanawha Canal
Source: US Geological Survey (USGS), Buckingham, VA 1:125,000 topographic quadrangle (1892)
the Richmond and Alleghany Railroad built on the towpath of the James River and Kanawha Canal
Source: US Geological Survey (USGS), Buckingham, VA 1:125,000 topographic quadrangle (1892)
The Richmond & Alleghany Railroad was chartered in 1878, and started operations in 1881. It laid track on the relatively flat tow-path of the defunct James River and Kanawha Canal. That route had the most gentle grade through the Blue Ridge.
the Richmond and Alleghany Railroad tracks paralleled the James River, offering a water level route through the Blue Ridge to Richmond
Source: US Geological Survey (USGS), Palmyra VA 1:125,000 topographic quadrangle (1891)
It went into bankruptcy in 1883, and after reorganization was auctioned off in 1889. The Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Railway operated the Richmond & Alleghany Railway until 1890, then absorbed the line.1
the Richmond and Alleghany Railroad built track on the towpath of the canal branch to Lexington (yellow), as well as the James River (red)
Source: David Rumsey Historical Map Collection, Virginia and West Virginia (The National Atlas Containing Elaborate Topographical Maps Of The United States And The Dominion of Canada, by O. W. Gray, 1877)
the Richmond and Alleghany Railroad freight depot was next to the canal's turning basin in downtown Richmond
Source: Virginia Comonwealth University, Baist Atlas of Richmond - Outline & index map Richmond and vicinity (1899)
the Richmond and Alleghany Railroad was built from Richmond westward
Source: New York Public Library, Half of an unidentified map showing the southeastern part of Virginia and the northeastern part of North Carolina (1870-79)