Christmas time is here! And so is the fifth NW RS Episode! We are hosting a Christmas Spectacular operation between Bristol, VA, and Roanoke via Radford. The Bristol line is well known to rail fans, as one of the towns along it holds a special place in history. On Christmas Eve 1957, O. Winston Link captured the most famous steam train sound recording ever in Rural Retreat, VA. As an honor, we will focus our Christmas operation on this line. We will hear freight trains and passenger trains from end to end. We will also ride a couple of passenger trains. And as a special bonus, we will return to the Grundy Branch to hear M 4-8-0s on Christmas Eve. This will be a steam-powered Christmas present that you'll treasure for years to come.

Episode Cover Attributes

1. Mark Levisay, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

2. http://www.signalsigns.com/images_all.php, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

YouTube Sources

1. https://www.youtube.com/@PennRailVideos

2. https://www.youtube.com/@DynamoProductions-trains

Cold winds and a leafless landscape in Virginia. This is a perfect time to ride a train on your way to your relatives for Thanksgiving. Imagine the motive power being a steam engine. That is what we are about to hear in this episode. We will ride a steam train on the ex. N&W's Clinch Valley Line. We will also feature some more trains during our visit. Sit back and relax to the sounds of a bygone era.

Audio Credits

1. Jim Herron of Herron Rail Video

Link: https://herronrail.com/Cart/

2. Bill Mudie from Australia

Link: https://www.ebay.com/usr/mudeye

3. YouTuber "Zimbabwe Railways"

Link: https://www.youtube.com/@ZimbabweRailway

The week of Halloween is upon us, and we are prepared to witness a week of hauntings during the first all-mainline RS event on the ex. Norfolk and Western Railway. We will witness steam trains on the Shenandoah Valley Line between Roanoke, VA, and Hagerstown, MD. And on Halloween night, we will see yard action in Williamson, WV, and hear more trains in the small village of Rawl, WV. N&W mallet hooters and deep passenger whistles, it is all here for this week's episode of the podcast. Listen, enjoy, and beware.