Bluefield, West Virginia

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Bluefield West Virginia, N&W Railway Pocahontas Division Headquarters

Bluefield, West Virginia, in Mercer County at coordinates 37°16′19″N 81°13′20″W and an elevation of 2,631 feet (802 m), emerged as a key operational center for the Norfolk & Western Railway (N&W), particularly in the Pocahontas coalfields—a prolific source of high-quality bituminous coal spanning southern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia. Its location on the Virginia-West Virginia border made it a strategic division point, facilitating the transport of “smokeless” coal that powered N&W’s dominance, generating over 70% of the railroad’s revenue by the mid-20th century.

Early History

Before the N&W’s arrival in 1888, Bluefield was a small, isolated settlement. Founded around 1780 by the Davidson and Bailey families in what was then Virginia (West Virginia separated in 1863), it consisted of scattered farms, a church, a store, and a frontier fort for defense against Native American raids. The area’s rugged terrain limited growth, with residents relying on subsistence agriculture and local trade. Incorporated in 1889, Bluefield’s population skyrocketed from a few families to over 5,000 by 1900, spurred by the railroad’s extension into the coalfields and the influx of miners and rail workers.

N&W Expansion

The N&W, formed in 1881 from mergers including the Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio, reached Bluefield in 1888 as part of its push into the Pocahontas region, following coal discoveries in the 1880s. The railroad established Bluefield as headquarters for the Pocahontas Division, building a massive classification yard to sort and assemble coal trains from branch lines. Facilities included a roundhouse, coaling towers, water tanks, and repair shops, maintaining steam locomotives like the Class Y6 Mallets for heavy coal drags through steep grades. In 1913-1915, N&W electrified 49 miles of track from Bluefield to Iaeger, using 11,000-volt overhead catenary to power electric locomotives, reducing costs and improving efficiency for coal haulage. The yard handled thousands of hopper cars daily, shipping coal to eastern ports like Lambert’s Point in Norfolk for export, while also managing general freight such as lumber, merchandise, and manufactured goods.

N&W Operations

While Bluefield was pivotal for coal and mixed freight, other N&W sites complemented it: Roanoke, Virginia, housed locomotive manufacturing shops (producing J-class streamliners); Williamson, West Virginia, focused on coal classification and coal train origination; and Portsmouth, Ohio, handled heavy repairs. Bluefield’s broader role as a division headquarters distinguished it, overseeing operations across the coalfields.

Bluefield Today

Today, under Norfolk Southern (NS), N&W’s successor since 1982, Bluefield’s yard remains operational, though diminished by coal’s decline. NS runs modern diesels for freight, including coal, grain, and intermodal on the Pocahontas Division. Historic remnants, like the coaling tower and electrified line traces (de-electrified in 1950), endure amid NS activities. Bluefield’s rise from a frontier hamlet to a railroad powerhouse illustrates its enduring significance in N&W’s history, fusing heritage with contemporary logistics

For More Information – Sources and Resources

The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the history and operation of the Appalachian Railroads. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Appalachian-Railroads.org. Much of the collective railroad history data points on this website are verified across multiple sources.

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