Editing Victoria, Virginia (section)

=== End of steam, mergers, abandonment ===
Victoria's importance as a rail point declined sharply in the 1950s when the change to [[diesel-electric locomotive]]s greatly reduced the labor and facilities needed. The last Virginian passenger train served Victoria in January 1956. VGN steam operations ended completely in June 1957. Then, on December 1, 1959, the [[Virginian Railway]] merged with the larger [[Norfolk and Western Railway]]. Under combined operations, the through coal traffic was shifted from Victoria to the bigger road's main line through [[Crewe, Virginia]], within commuting distance for N&W's Victoria-based employees. Local customers on the former VGN line through Victoria and nearby [[Kenbridge, Virginia|Kenbridge]] were few, and the portion of the line through Victoria and Kenbridge was eventually abandoned in the 1980s. All tracks and virtually all structures were removed, and a portion of the land donated to the community by N&W.

Much like many other communities all across the United States, the end of steam railroading and the era of mergers and consolidation in the second half of the 20th century reduced rail-oriented employment opportunities and had a generally negative impact upon Victoria and the surrounding area. However, the community and Lunenburg County proved resilient, and by the late 1990s, transportation employment represented only a minimal portion of the area's economy.

One of the biggest industries in Victoria is the prison industry. Located two miles from the center of town, the [[Lunenburg Correctional Center]] provides employment for many people living in and around Victoria.