Elliston private crossing signal

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

At 1:54 AM -0700 4/25/05, Ben Blevins wrote:
>Hello all.
>Yesterday I journeyed to Roanoke to visit my sister.  I decided to take the "road less travelled", and took Route 11 all the way.  I noticed something I've seen before, but never paid much attention to.  It is a private crossing light near Elliston.
> 
>This thing is made out of old US&S PL-1 Position Light parts!  I've attached a photo for your scrutiny.  Does anyone know the story behind this thing?  Why did the N&W make this thing for a private crossing?

For those not familiar with the location, it is on the N&W main on the Radford Division not too far west of Singer.  On U.S. 460/11, it is just west of the turn-off to Lafayette and just before both the road and tracks cross the Roanoke River at the old Green Hill packing plant [I'm not dating myself with any of those references, am I? :-) ]  The dirt road from this crossing runs up a hill and into the woods (the same hill this photo was taken from: http://spec.lib.vt.edu/imagebase/norfolksouthern/full/ns871.jpeg).  Up in the woods is a quarry that once served the brick yard in Salem.  The signal would alert the drivers of loaded dump trucks that it would not be safe to cross the tracks, especially since there isn't much room at that point between the westbound track and the eastbound highway lane.

Deep in the depths of my memory, I seem to remember there was another signal like this over east, around Farmville, but I can't remember the specifics.  They were few and far between, though.

-- 
Bruce in Blacksburg         === In the heart of N&W territory. ===

Bruce B. Harper                              (540)231-4360
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