N&W in 1903 -- Narrows Branch

[NW Mailing List]

This road crossed Wolf creek in my Grandmother's (Honaker) front field, in
Rocky Gap Va.  The thru truss bridge carried the Rt. 61 road to Narrows
until it was rebuilt in the 90's.  I'm not sure if the bridge is still
standing, I'll have to jump off I77 at Rocky Gap next time I'm up that way
to check.
 
R.D. Williams
 
  _____  

From: nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org
[mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 11:44 AM
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Subject: N&W in 1903 -- Narrows Branch
 
SURVEYING FOR RAILROAD UP WOLF CREEK
                                                    ------
    Capt. W. L. Umberger [?? blurred; best estimate], the civil engineer in
charge of the surveyors at work on Wolf Creek, running a line up that
watercourse from Narrows to Saltville was in the city yesterday.  He said
the construction of the road is practically assured.  This road will open up
a section of Virginia rich in material resources.  In the territory there
are many thousands of acres of fine timber, much of it hardwood, iron ore
and coal and other minerals are found in large quantities.
 
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
May 21, 1903
 
[This line was built as the standard-gauge New River, Holston and Western
Railroad Co., and it had been extended in stages  from its connection with
the N&W at Narrows, VA, to Rocky Gap, VA, 20.6 miles, when the N&W acquired
the company in December 1912.  But, it continued to operate as the NRH&W,
and was extended 14 miles to Suiter, VA. in 1914.  A 1915 schedule shows a
passenger train each way the full length of the line.  On June 1, 1919, the
NRH&W became the N&W's Narrows Branch, but it never reached Saltville.  In
1942 the 4.13 miles between Suiter and Bastian was abandoned, and in 1946
the remainder of the branch was abandoned.  I remember reading long ago that
the principal argument of the protesters at the abandonment hearing was that
the abandonment of the railroad would deprive the local governments of the
tax revenue from the railroad that was needed to pay for the paved road that
put the railroad out of business! ]
 
Gordon Hamilton
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