Montvale Turn

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Frank:
 The Montvale  middle track was only 4380 feet.  That's  enough to chamber
105 cars (plus a little breathing room).  I'm not aware of any  auxiliary 
tracks
at Montvale for the purpose of storing coal.  The fair weather rating  for
a Y-5 or Y-6 with a Y-5 or Y-6 pusher was 9200 tons Roanoke-Crewe.  That's
about ninety-seven 70-ton loads, so I rather doubt that there were 150  -car
double-headers run to Montvale with relay coal.
 
Not sure when it was placed in service, but in 1954, N&W had traffic  control
on both tracks between Bonsack and the crossovers WEST of the station at 
Montvale. While an eastbound drag was at MP 240 filling out, it was  possible
for the dispatcher, working with the operator a Bedford,  to divert a  
following
eastbound  to the westward main track without incurring a delay.
 
I don't know what tonnage they were hauling, but in steam's final  days,
a coal train would leave Shaffers Crossing with a Y-5/Y-6 ahead of  the
Class A road engine.  The train would pick up a Y-5/Y-6 pusher  at
Boaz, which cut off after Blue Ridge.  Then there's one final pimple  --
Bray Hill.  It starts at Opossum Creek on the Lynchburg Belt Line  and
continues east through Doctor to the west end of the Phoebe passing
siding.   At Phoebe, there was a wye and the Y helper  would cut off and
turn back to Roanoke -- either on the Belt Line or via the Old Main  Line.
Then it was the A's turn to haul the whole train.
 
                                                                 Harry Bundy
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