Passing siding capacity

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Dr. Scheer:
I really can't say whether or not "The Punk" has enough pass tracks  or
not.  I haven't seen a morning report in a decade.  The classic  delay on
the Winston District occurs   when a crew has gone on duty at 
Shaffers Crossing as a northbound is passing Rocky Mount.  The
dispatcher will USUALLY route the northbound into the siding at  Wirtz,
while the southbound couples up, knocks out bad orders (if any),  then
travels to Wirtz at the glacial speed of 25 MPH. I haven't kept a breast  on
work rules and haven't been paid to.  I imagine this procedure is to  reduce
initial terminal delay. In my civilian status now, I sited a southbound  that
made Wirtz eight hours after having gone on duty and yes, there was a
train in the hole waiting for it.  Had Hester Wrights been there,  based on
a maximum authorized speed of 25 MPH, the northbound would have  advanced
10 miles closer to Roanoke and the delay would have been reduced by 55  mins.
or maybe an hour.  Mr. Fishwick never bought it, but Southern used a  "canned"
figure for train delays -- $150.00 per hour (in 1975 prices).
 
The complexion of the traffic hauled on the Punk'in Vine constantly  changes.
In the 1930's, it was smoking tobacco (and N&W had a named time  freight
called "The Camel").  That started to taper off when  automobiles  and
trucks began moving to Walkertown.  Then came Belews Creek.   Now it
appears that the Winston District  has become an alternative to  traffic 
moving
over White Oak Mountain.  Quite often the LInwood-Roanoke run through  moves
jam-up tonnage.  It has to run the pick up at Greensboro in order to  make the
pick-up at Dundee (Danville) and be within the tonnage rating for the climb  
to
White Oak.  The Greensboro traffic is sloughed over to the Winston  District. 
Then there's chicken feed. Unit grain trains have been moving down  the 
Shendo.
Division for points on the A&Y (Southern's line to Sanford).  For  some 
reason,
Norfolk Southern granted N&W trackage rights through Greensboro (and  the
North Carolina RR went into orbit because they own the tracks).  If  this 
traffic
keeps building, it appears that more passing sidings will be in  order.
 
It's certainly a mystery why NS is so enthralled about moving traffic  between
Riverton Jct. and Manassas.  In those 51 miles, I believe NS has now  built
one decent passing siding.  And clearances -- there been several  instances
on the former Southern main line.  Most recently a double stack was  out
of classification for the Charlotte set-off.  It continued moving  north 
until it got
clothes-lined by an overhead bridge at Salisbury.  The Main Street  arch in
Charlottesville is very restrictive and hi-wides will clear only on  the 
center track.
Before the dispatching operation was moved from Greensboro to  Greenville,
there was a transformer en route to CP&L.  It even had a rider  with it.  
Well it
got wedged in the arch.  You can't buy a transformer at Sam's  Club.  Any 
attempt
to move double-stacks, etc. will require better clearances.
 
Currently there's a bill before the Virginia legislature that would make  $33 
million
available to railroads for capital improvements.  Our local senator  has 
noted that
railroads no longer have the money to make these improvements.  I  can't
imagine why.
                                                             Harry Bundy
 
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