Last Steam Question

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Ken,

I have the last two month's steam dispatchments from each point on the N & W
where locomotives were dispatched during the waning years (also electrics
for Bluestone).  This info is handwritten on three N & W G4 sheets.  The
sheets are unsigned, and I do not recall where I got them.  The two best
bets are Art Bixby or Mr. Pond's personal files.

The earliest phase out listed is Eckman with 109 dispatchments in May 1950,
56 in June 1950, and 0 in July 1950 (also, 15292 system dispatchments in May
1950).

The last phase out listed is Williamson with 135 dispatchments in April
1960, 15 in May 1960, and 0 in June 1960 (also, 15 system dispatchment in
May 1960).

Other points listed (in chronological order) are: Pulaski, Wilcoe, Durham,
Clare, Kinney, Shenandoah, Winston-Salem, Bristol, Richlands, Kenova,
Radford, Norton, Columbus, Portsmouth, Crewe, Petersburg, Shaffers, Lamberts
Pt., Bluefield, Weller Yard, and Iaeger.

I'll try to scan these sheets and send them to you in the next day or so.

Gordon Hamilton

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2005 2:20 PM
Subject: Last Steam Question


> I have been searching for some time for this information, but have not
> come up with some definitive answers.
>
> We all know that the last steam operation was out of Williamson in May,
> 1960. I have dates for the last steam on the Scioto Division, but I
> have never seen dates for the last steam on the other Divisions, I've
> seen a few certain dates, like February 20, 1957 for the last steam
> passenger train on the Shenandoah Division north of Roanoke and
> December 31, 1957 for the passenger trains on the Bristol line.
>
> Does anyone have dates and locomotive numbers for last revenue steam
> freight or passenger runs on Radford Division or Norfolk Division. In
> my research I have come up with some dates on the Radford Division, as
> best as I can tell, the 1202 went west with Train 85 consisting of 120
> cars on October 28, 1958, called for 11 am, pulled out of track 8 in
> Roanoke yard at 11:25 am. Steam before that was spotty at best, mostly
> GP9s, RS11s, the only previous steam dates I can find are October 13,
> 1958, September 25, 1958, then a big gap back to March 20, 1958.
> Obviously steam was not to common by this late date, March seems to be
> the last month of frequent steam operation.  The Salem Shifter still
> used steam on up to January 23, 1959 with No. 230.
>
> I am not looking for excursion train operations, like the 1240 in July
> 1959, or 611 several times in August and finally in October.
>
> On the Norfolk Division, I have been told that late April or May 1959
> was about the end, but have no specifics. Looking through the record
> books, steam was pretty thin by February, 1959 on that side as well.
>
> Comments?
>
> Ken Miller
>
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