Short Line of the Alleghenies

 

 
 
CANOVA
Canova, Pennsylvania is a small town at the top of the steepest grade (5.1 percent) on the Nickel City Line.  The town has a few retail buildings, a train station and a freight siding.  Trains must perform a brake test at this location before descending the steep grade to Underwood, Pennsylvania.  Canova is a great place for train watching since all trains must stop here during their journey up and down the mountain.

 

Train 401 makes coal runs every other day up the Canova Grade.  It takes a lot of motive power to master the 5% grades up these mountains.
 
Here Train 203 rounds a turn in a rock cut before crossing the steel girder bridge and entering Tunnel 20.
 
Engine 224 leads the east bound local today and is seen here exiting Tunnel 20 on it's way towards Nickel City.
 
Just west of town there is an abundance of wildlife and rural scenes.  Life is tranquil on top of the mountain.  Train 101 passes by a small creek in its way back to Monserrat where commuters will head home after a day of work.
 
Some railfans have taken advantage of an overpass to get some head on photos of Train 101 as it leaves Canova enroute to Monserrat.
 
Local 501 stops at Chessie City to switch out a cut of box cars bound for area industries.  Chessie City lies a few short miles west of Canova.
 
Tourism played a key role in the redevelopment of Chessie City.  The town is lined with shops and small restaurants that thrive off the tourist trade.  The town is busy on this Friday afternoon.
 
The town of Bristow is located next to Chessie City.  A small victorian house maintains two businesses; an antique store and a book shop.  Shoppers from Chessie City often meander over to Bristow to check out the latest treasures.
 
The dry summer has caused a number of brush fires in the area.  The local fire department has just finished extinguishing one such fire in a field across from the Bristow antique shop.  Train 101 passes by and commuters got to see the action.
 
 
This web site and all its contents, are Copyright (C) 2011-2021 by the Nickel City Line,
Prince William County, Virginia
 
 


LATEST NEWS


 






Latest News
Click Here to Get the Latest News on the Nickel City Line.