Roanoke Rail walk

[NW Mailing List]

On Feb 1, 2007, at 6:02 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:


> I visited Roanoke yesterday and made a few new discoveries.  I have  

> also attached links to a few photos.  And, I have a few questions.

>

> One, there are three old steam era coal hoppers outside the VMT  

> yard tracks.  Did these come from the scrap yard where the "lost  

> engines" are located?

> http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/100_1704.jpg

>

The hoppers are from the scrapyard, they were discussed here when  
they first were moved.

>

> Another is, where did the wig wag signal out in front of VMT come  

> from?  I couldn't help but manually work it a little bit to hear  

> the old bell clang!  I want one for my private collection iffen  

> anyone has one to donate.  : )

> http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/100_1707.jpg


VMT had the Wig-wag from its Wasena Park days when it was used with  
the 7.5 inch gauge train at the main entrance. It was a constant  
maintenance headache.

>

>

> Did these locomotive wheelsets also come out of the same scrapyard  

> as the hoppers?  Are they from Y6's?

> http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/100_1714.jpg


The driver wheelsets came from Virginia Scrap Iron and Metal, the  
same place as the hoppers and steam locomotives. I'm not certain what  
they came off of, there was a pile about 5 feet tall and maybe 30  
foot x 20 foot of them at the yard a number of years back.

>

>

> Who restored these signals?  Was it the Roanoke Chapter,  

> individuals, or some other group?

> Here's the Color position light.

> http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/100_1717.jpg

> Here's the Position light signal.

> http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e168/signalyard/100_1718.jpg

>

The signals were restored by Roanoke City maintenance workers, as it  
is a Roanoke City Parks and Recreation Department project. There is  
more to come, 14 (I think) 3 foot x 4 foot informational plaques, a  
bunch of 16x20 inch individual item signs as well. They are in  
production right now. There are also signs going in the "glass  
bridge" over the track. They are complete, I don't know when they are  
getting installed.

The idea came from former Roanoke Mayor David Bowers, it was started,  
then shelved as the new mayor Ralph Smith came on, when Nelson Harris  
became mayor, the work began again. The key to that? Bowers and  
Harris are both from the same political party. Don't try and convince  
me that politics do not play a big part in these things.

Ken Miller


> And, whose idea was it to do all this to begin with?  I didn't know  

> any of this was there until yesterday!

>

> Ben Blevins

>

>

>

> Don't pick lemons.

> See all the new 2007 cars at Yahoo! Autos.

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