My first exposure to the Norfolk and Western railroad was in Hagerstown, MD, while photographing Western Maryland trains. I quickly became a fan and made quite a few trips to Roanoke, VA, and Bluefield, WV.
Sometimes the best pictures happen in the worst weather. Here are two of my favorite pictures (pre-Norfolk Southern) which were taken on a very rainy day.
The Shenandoah line, from Roanoke north to Hagerstown, is a very scenic route. Here are a few photos from a 1983 trip.
The N&W steam program was, of course, quite famous. I went to Roanoke for some of the 611 and 1218 excursions.
In 1989, Norfolk Southern held a railroad exhibition in downtown Roanoke. It was pouring down rain, but it was still a great show with many pieces of vintage N&W and Virginian railroad equipment.