N&W in 1907 -- Improvements

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Bluefield Daily Telegraph
October 25, 1907

In City and Coal Field
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RAILROAD IMPROVEMENTS
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    Still another improvement is to be made in the local yard.  The contemplated improvement, it is reported, will be made in the east end.  At the present time after the coal has been weighed the cars are run by gravity into the upper, or assorting yard.  After this yard has filled up the cars are hauled down into the lower yard at night by an engine.  The proposed improvement will widen and lengthen the assorting yard so that it will hold about sixty or more cars.  This will give the company a chance to weight a whole train of cars before any extra movement will have to be made.  At present the cars are run on tracks which are subdivided as follows:  Winston-Salem, Bristol, Little East, Big East and Lamberts Point tracks.  These tracks will be lengthened out and several other improvements made.  This is intended to facilitate the movement of east bound coal trains.  Several extra improvements will be made in the west end yard and two extra forces will be put on today or tomorrow for that purpose.  The work on the Mercer street bridge is being pushed as rapidly as possible and the other improvements are being advanced with the same momentum.  At the depot a force of men are at work putting the roof on the new train shed and Seay & Son are laying the foundations for the addition to the depot with as much dispatch as possible, considering that they are awaiting material for building.  By spring Bluefield will  have a much more convenient yard than many railroads can boast anywhere on their system.  This work has been consistently under the eye of the general manager, the division superintendent and the engineers, and when the work has been completed it will be a number of years before any great changes are made with the exception of a new freight house, the erection of which, it is said, is being considered.
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[Does anyone know what is meant by the track designations "Little East" and "Big East?"]

Gordon Hamilton
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