"Angel's Rest" - On September 8, 2021, a Norfolk Southern loaded coal train, headed for export at Norfolk, VA, passes the Celanese plant in Narrows, VA on NS' Whitethorne District. Taken from "Angel's Rest" approximately 1,800 feet up in elevation along the Appalachian Trail in southwest Virginia outside of the small town of Pearisburg, this overlook provides an extensive view of the New River Valley to the east and west. The Celanese plant seen was originally opened in 1939 and is a major producer of cellulose acetate, which according to my research, is a synthetic compound that can be spun into textile fibres known variously as acetate rayon, acetate, or triacetate or molded into solid plastic parts for tool handles or cast into film for photography or food wrapping.
