Radford Yard

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Carl-
History usually involves dates.   Unfortunately,
the date of this incident isn't readily  available.
It did happen during the Vietnam conflict  -
in the late 60's.
 
During that time, the call board wasn't  exactly
turning in favor of the Radford Division  crews.
More time was being spent at the  away-from-
home terminal, Bluefield, than at their  home
terminal, Roanoke.   It was expected that  at
Roanoke, they'd be called exactly 8  hours
after they'd marked off duty.  One fireman  had
told me that he'd arrived Bluefield with a  cold.
Believing it would be 16 hours plus before  he
was called for the return trip to Roanoke,  he'd
taken cold medicine - the kind that makes  you
drowsy.  He was called out of cycle to  bring
nine light units to Roanoke and wondered  how
he made the 100 miles without nodding  off.
Believe me, the drone of the diesel engine  will
put you to sleep in seconds.
 
But other things were going on at Bluefield  to
occupy the off-duty time.  There were  poker
games  at the Matz Hotel  24/7.
 
The passing siding at Belspring is on the  New
River side of the main track.  At the east  end
is a fail-safe arrangement -- to leave the  siding
and enter the main track to Roanoke, a  train
goes through a crossover.  So that a train 
doesn't inadvertently pass a stop signal  and
foul the main track, when straight-railed,  the
crossover leads into the ammunition  plant.
 
The dispatcher had lined #78 into the siding  at
Belspring to meet a westbound.  When  #78
reached the east  end of the siding,  it  failed
to stop at the signal and the fail-safe  feature
took over. No. 78 went into the  ammunition
plant and derailed.  There was a car of  munitions
en route to the NC Port at Wilmington.  The  car
didn't explode and there were no deaths,  but
government agencies were on hand to  observe
the contents and re-railing of the munitions  car.
 
MORAL - Get your rest or R.I.P.
                                                             Harry Bundy



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