ROANOKE (WSLS 10) - The City of Roanoke was essentially built around the railroad and the history behind Norfolk Southern in Roanoke dates back more than 130 years.
It's not hard to find someone who worked for the company. Tom Sellinger's job was in sales and marketing and to attract freight to the railroad.
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"You work some place for 14 years you got to have fond memories," says Sellinger.
The history behind Norfolk Southern in Roanoke goes back to 1882 when Roanoke was named Big Lick and the company was still Norfolk and Western.
The company was known for its steam locomotives which were built in Roanoke.
We took a look back in our archives and found footage of the president of Norfolk and Western addressing several hundred stockholders in 1971 on their success.
It's success didn't end on the tracks but extended throughout our city.
Norfolk and Western built Hotel Roanoke and also the former passenger rail station across from it which is now the Roanoke Valley Convention and Visitor's Bureau.
"The great thing about Norfolk Southern and Norfolk and Western is that they made Roanoke," says Bev Fitzpatrick with the Virginia Museum of Transportation. "We originally had 500 people and it grew to 5,000 people within a couple of years."