When the Virginian railroad was being built 1904-1909, wood mileposts were located every mile with milepost zero being at the railroad's Freight Station in Norfolk, Virginia. Within a decade, concrete mileposts replaced the earlier ones. Over the life of the railroad it is believed that there were two generations of concrete posts, this being of the first generation style. Interestingly, milepost 141 was the last one passed by Buffalo Bill's eastbound Wild West train in October 1916 before it derailed. The show suffered terribly but continued to perform in eastern Virginia and North Carolina for nearly two more months before Bill Cody left the show. He died in the following January at his sister's home in Colorado. This post was found abandoned along the vacant right of way in 2008. It weighs 600 pounds and is eight feet long.
From collecting small datenails found in discarded railroad crossties to actual railroad structures, the passion for railroad history is manifested and displayed in our garden which is shown below. For us, the collection and arrangement of three dozen pieces from seven railroads makes our own Railroad Relic Sculpture Garden. Having 10 plus acres helps keep normal life and the railroad collection in perspective. Our goal is to stimulate our visitors to want to learn more after leaving.
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