Operations between Bluefield and Maybeury

[NW Mailing List]

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: NW Mailing List 
  To: NW Mailing List 
  Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 3:10 PM
  Subject: Operations between Bluefield and Maybeury


  Does anyone know of any published material describing main-line operations between Bluefield and Maybeury?

  Mason Cooper's book on N&W electrics will give you some description of operations in that area, as well as a good idea of the territory.

  Where is Christiansburg grade located in respect to this area?  Were there any helper operations in or near the Maybeury - Bluefield or Christiansburg area?
  Was the new Elkhorn tunnel in service by 1953? Was it double tracked?


  The Walton-Christiansburg grade is on the Radford Division.  Walton is 61.26 miles east of East Bluefield.  Maybuery-Bluefield is on the Elkhorn Grade, and eastbound coal trains were pushed through that area; usually the pushers were attached to coal trains at Farm, about 35 or so miles west of Bluefield.  Time Freights needing pushers often got them at Wilmore, another ten or so miles west of Farm (which is just west of Welch).  Eastbound coal trains and heavy time freights were pushed from Walton to Christiansburg.

  The new Elkhorn Tunnel was in service in 1950.  It was double tracked.

  Some small maps show triple track in only one area ( that I can see ). Is that basically correct? Was it on the Christiansburg grade? 

  There was an eastbound running track (third main, actually) between Walton and Pelton, just west of Christiansburg, that was used by eastbound coal trains and heavy time freights.  There was no tunnel on the west side of Alleghany Mountain between Walton and Christiansburg; there were two tunnels - Shawsville (double track, now daylighted) and Montgomery (twin tunnels) on the east side of the mountain between Elliston and Christiansburg.

   Was there a tunnel here?

  Now, going to the other side of Roanoke, what is a good way to identify the location of Boaz siding on the topo maps?  

  I'll leave that one to someone more familiar with that territory.

  Apologies for peppering you with questions, but this enquiring mind needs to know.

  Thanks,
  Dave Willis
  N&W Steam 1953.

  Ed King



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