Bill Text: VA HR260 | 2015 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Bob and Annie Bryant.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-02-23 - Bill text as passed House (HR260ER) [HR260 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2015-HR260-Enrolled.html
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WHEREAS, for 25 years, Bob and Annie Bryant have worked to strengthen the infrastructure of Central Virginia by restoring and operating old railroad lines through their company, Buckingham Branch Railroad; and WHEREAS, after retiring from a career with CSX Transportation in 1988, Bob Bryant purchased a 17-mile stretch of nearly abandoned track in the Blue Ridge Mountains, convincing his former employer and a local banker that he could make the track profitable; and WHEREAS, Bob and Annie Bryant used state grant fund matches to rebuild and refurbish the track, now known as the Buckingham Division, which runs from Dillwyn to Bremo Bluff; and WHEREAS, starting Buckingham Branch Railroad with just two employees, Bob and Annie Bryant turned the single-track Buckingham Division into a reliable branch route for outbound commercial trains; by 2004, the staff had grown to 13, including their children, Mark and Lois; and WHEREAS, in 2004, Bob and Annie Bryant won the competition to lease a 200-mile line between Richmond and Clifton Forge, now known as the Richmond & Alleghany Division, which carries inbound and outbound commercial goods and Amtrak trains; and WHEREAS, in 2009, Buckingham Branch Railroad continued to grow under Bob and Annie Bryant's leadership, acquiring a 58-mile line from Burkeville to the North Carolina border; today, the family-run business employs nearly 100 workers and sees more than 4,000 trains operating on its tracks each year; and WHEREAS, Bob and Annie Bryant serve the community through a partnership with the Old Dominion Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society to offer seasonal rides on vintage passenger cars on the Buckingham Division line, as well as rides on "Santa Trains" each December; and WHEREAS, respected for their honesty, integrity, and strength of character, Bob and Annie Bryant are fine examples for other aspiring businessmen in the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That Bob and Annie Bryant hereby be commended for their exceptional service to Central Virginia on the occasion of Buckingham Branch Railroad's 25th anniversary; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Bob and Annie Bryant as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for their accomplishments in service to the residents of and visitors to the Commonwealth. |
