Dan Harshman: Rails to Trails
Originally appeared in the Northern Virginia Daily
By Dan Harshman March 7, 2024
A silver plated train engine sits on a shelf in my office — a gift from Jim Barrett in the late 1990s in appreciation for support of the Shenandoah Rail Initiative. You might remember Jim and his push for a tourist train/short line freight service on the Shenandoah County corridor.
This was when you still might see Norfolk Southern maintenance vehicles on the tracks. If so inclined, and willing to ignore signs telling you not to, you could stroll from one end of town to the other walking the tracks. The very adventurous might even cross the bridge over Stony Creek by stepping from tie to tie. Jim had a steam-powered engine and passenger cars lined up with some short freight line interest. What he ultimately didn’t have — the support of the county to move his idea forward. I remained a cheerleader for Jim’s dream right to the end. It took me a while to realize that the numbers might not have worked and they still won’t today.
About this time, Edinburg began to promote heritage tourism, historical preservation, and creating a walkable community. We installed historic style pedestrian lighting along Stony Creek Boulevard and Main Street; making these thoroughfares popular with residents taking an evening power walk. We established a Historic District, identified historic buildings and took on a larger than life restoration project for a town our size with the Edinburg Mill.
Fast forward almost 30 years: Anyone wanting to walk the tracks now needs a chainsaw to clear trees that have grown through and compromised the stone ballast. The only track still clear, the road crossings, has been paved over. The adventurous aren’t foolhardy enough to trust the rotten and decaying rail ties of the bridge anymore. Now we have another idea for the corridor, a Trail. Data shows the tremendous benefits to the communities along the corridor. The numbers work this time.
Despite the railroad’s decline, Edinburg continued its heritage tourism efforts; completed the Edinburg Mill project and on any given evening you see folks walking under the glow of our streetlights. We strive for historic preservation every day, sharing it with a walking tour.
The proposed Shenandoah Rail Trail is the perfect continuation of our efforts. As the second smallest town in Shenandoah County we are limited in what commercial growth we get; increased tourism is an attainable and positive goal. The bridge, located at the rear of the Mill, is a great location for Trail access. It is a convenient rest stop along the Trail and a chance to learn of railroad history in our Museum. Interpretation along the Trail will also preserve railroad history.
It is impossible to forget the impact the railroad had, and still has, on our country. However, it is no longer economically feasible for this corridor to serve its original purpose. The 49-mile Trail offers the best possible use now while still preserving what once was — a pathway that connects our communities.
Dan Harshman is mayor of Edinburg.
