|
|
The City of Roanoke
The David R. and Susan S. Goode Railwalk is a true destination site for rail buffs, tourists and local residents alike.
Stretching approximately 1/3 of a mile along the railroad tracks in the heart of downtown Roanoke, the railwalk is part museum, part linear park. More than 20 story boards and descriptive panels take visitors back to the mid-1800s, when a growing railroad industry was transforming the little town of Big Lick into a major southwestern Virginia crossroads.
 But what really brings this history to life are the numerous rail artifacts – many of which are interactive. Visitors can ring a bell, sound a diesel horn, and even lower a crossing gate, complete with flashing signals. On a 30-ton flatcar, a radio scanner lets visitors listen in on train engineers talking to their dispatchers as they come and go through the city. Standing on this flatcar as a train passes by, with the ground rumbling and voices chattering on the intercom, is a truly immersive experience. In fact, the David R. and Susan S. Goode Railwalk is thought to be the most interactive of its kind in the country.
Visitors should also note that the railwalk forms a connecting corridor between two of the area’s premier museums: the Virginia Museum of Transportation, and the O. Winston Link Museum – both of which house exhibits no rail fan would want to miss.
Inspired almost 15 years ago by former Roanoke Mayor Noel C. Taylor, the David R. and Susan S. Goode Railwalk has evolved as a true community effort to showcase the City of Roanoke’s rich rail heritage.
- Longtime corporate neighbor Norfolk Southern Corp. (successor to the Norfolk & Western Railway) donated some of the land for the railwalk, as well as many of its artifacts.
- Additional artifacts were donated by the Virginia Museum of Transportation, the estate of Sam Golden with the help of Mary Ann Ward, and others.
- Architectural and engineering firm Hayes, Seay, Mattern & Mattern designed the park.
- The Virginia Museum of Transportation, the History Museum of Western Virginia, Downtown Roanoke Inc., the Roanoke Arts Commission and many local businesses contributed their time and resources, as well.
- Staff from several city departments helped with the hands-on work, including Facilities Management, which provided much of the labor for the installation of artifacts, and Horticulture and Urban Forestry crews from the Parks and Recreation Department, who provided beautification and landscaping for the project.
 Railwalk namesake David R. Goode is a native of the area who began his railroad career at the Norfolk & Western in 1965 and retired in 2005 as chairman, president and CEO of Norfolk Southern. Although Goode and his wife relocated to Norfolk, Va., they have maintained their ties to the Roanoke Valley, and Mr. Goode was instrumental in the acquisition and donation of many of the railwalk’s artifacts. The City of Roanoke officially dedicated the railwalk in the Goodes’ honor this spring.
The City of Roanoke is known worldwide for its railroad heritage. Although the railroad is no longer headquartered here, we still cherish and appreciate our history, and the railroad's importance as a major employer today. The railwalk is proof of that appreciation and the importance of the railroad to the Roanoke Valley and its citizens. We invite visitors to learn about Roanoke's rail history and its importance to the people, pride and promise of our city.
|
|
|