Virginian Railway Co. - 1969 dated $10,000 Railroad Bond

PMG Graded Bond, 65 EPQ Gem uncirculated.

The Virginian Railway Company, founded in 1907 by industrialist Henry Huttleston Rogers, one of the key figures behind Standard Oil, exemplified early 20th-century engineering and business foresight. Unlike many railroads of its era, the Virginian was constructed entirely with private funds, allowing it to avoid the heavy debt that burdened many competitors. Its route, designed with minimal grades and gentle curves, made it one of the most efficient coal-hauling lines in the United States. From the outset, the Virginian earned a reputation for reliability, financial stability, and technical excellence, including the early adoption of electric locomotives on its mountainous sections.

Throughout its existence, the Virginian Railway maintained a steady profitability and a reputation for operational precision. Its locomotives and infrastructure were considered cutting-edge, and its employees took great pride in its smooth, efficient operations, earning it the nickname “The Richest Little Railroad in the World.” In 1959, after more than half a century of independent success, the Virginian merged with the Norfolk and Western Railway, marking the end of its separate identity but not its legacy. Much of its original right-of-way remains in active use today under Norfolk Southern Railway, continuing to carry the coal and freight that once made the Virginian Railway a symbol of American industrial power and engineering ingenuity.