Tidewater in 1907 -- World Record?

[NW Mailing List]

?

[The mouth of Toms Creek is at Whitethorne (MP 287.7) so the west end of the curve according to the article would be MP 289.7, which is about across the river from Cowan on the N&W.? Five miles and a half east of that point would be MP 284.2, which is present-day Pepper, where it appears there used to be the junction of a spur leading into the Radford Arsenal.? Could Pepper have been known as Prime?]

?

Gordon Hamilton



Hind - sight is 20/20.? This wasn't my observation, 
but rather one of the late R. D. Painter, N&W.? Following
the?merger with the VGN,? N&W? built? a connection with
?the VGN across the New River west of Glen Lyn.
Eastward coal trains from Bluefield had to back thru
the connection, crossing the New River to reach the
VGN, then head east to Roanoke.? For?empty trains to
?Elmore, they merely headed thru the connection.?
 Later this connection was changed so? that?eastbound
coal trains from Bluefield merely headed?across the river.
Having sold the former VGN right-of-way to improve the
alignment of U.S. 460, N&W then built a connection 
across the New River east of Narrows (and west of
Celco).

But suppose N&W had built the connection, not east of
Narrows, but rather to cross the New River east of
Belspring to?hook up?with the VGN near the horseshoe
curve mentioned ?? Service to Celanese could be?
maintained thru the connection at Klotz (?) provided the
former VGN was kept it place Klotz-Celco.???The "pipe
dream" connection?was timetable west of the Whitethorne
helper station and the climb to Merrimac Tunnel, so the
pusher district would not have to be altered.? Probably
N&W would have restored double track Belspring and
beyond, which would improve traffic flow. The former
VGN track Klotz to the horseshoe curve would be?retired.?
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Harry Bundy?

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/attachments/20080630/a4629722/attachment-0001.htm>