Blue Ridge

[NW Mailing List]

I was in the area not long ago and couldn't find the Station or the 
First photographers Bridge. But I think I found the Second. If I am not 
mistakes it is across the street to the Stone Corp. Headquarters? can 
any one confirm this for both myself and Mike.

Nathan

NW Mailing List wrote:

> Frank,

> Your directions for the Blue Ridge station area will be very helpful. 

> I could use a little more help for the second  "photographer's bridge" 

> though. Does the road leading to the bridge have a name? And what is 

> Blue Ridge Stone Corporation's landmark crushed limestone "cone" ?  Is 

> it something quite large? Thanks.

> Mike

>

> ----- Original Message ----- From: "NW Mailing List" 

> <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

> To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

> Sent: Monday, August 24, 2009 10:07 PM

> Subject: Blue Ridge

>

>

>> Nathan:

>>

>> To get to the ex-Blue Ridge station site, take US 460 east out of 

>> Roanoke toward Lynchburg, or the reverse from Lynchburg west.  At 

>> Blue Ridge, get on CR 805 south off  Rte 460 (should the road have 

>> been renumbered, just ask locals for "old 805" that goes to the NS 

>> bridge-overpass near the station site) and head in about .3 mi.  When 

>> in sight of the overpass, park along the roadside (little 

>> traveled).   Walk east up a rise to the still-active NS tracks, just 

>> a minute or two's walk.  The station site is east just several 

>> hundred feet from the overpass, between the mainline and a spur off 

>> the WB main that circled around the station on the north side. When I 

>> last visited the site early in this decade the spur was still active 

>> for stone crusher service, within sight to the east;  a track still 

>> departed north from the station site (above-referenced curved track) 

>> to part of the limestone complex.  The station occupied a fairly 

>> tight squeeze between the WB main and the curved track.

>>

>>

>> There actually were two "photographer's bridges".  The most 

>> celebrated, at the eastern end of a .75-mi s-curve and about .4 mi. 

>> west of the station, was on  CR 616  about .3 mi south off Rte 460.  

>> The bridge was dismantled decades ago and not replaced.  CR 616 ends 

>> near the bridge site,  but you'd have to make your way through lots 

>> of thicket to reach the track.  I actually have walked  west along 

>> the track from the station site to the bridge site, admittedly not so 

>> prudent.  But the trek evokes an epic story.

>>

>>

>> The second bridge sought by photographers in N&W's steam era still 

>> stands (to my knowledge) just east of Buford's Gap (last and first 

>> Appalachian challenges for EB and WB traffic, respectively; .7 mi 

>> east of the station site) just east of the Blue Ridge Stone 

>> Corporation's landmark crushed limestone "cone" on the south side of 

>> Rte 460.  Turn south off Rte 460 on a private road leading to the 

>> bridge, a hop and a skip away. The limestone "cone" will be in sight 

>> to your right.

>>

>>

>> At Blue Ridge trackside  you'll find a bounty of aging, rusting track 

>> hardware all over, dating back to the "glory days".  Also ankle-deep 

>> cinder residue from the bowels of N&W's legendary fleet.  Mute 

>> testimonials to a grand rail saga..

>>

>>

>> The area signal tower, long gone, was at Villamont, about two miles 

>> east of Blue Ridge, hard by the WB main.

>>

>> Frank Gibson

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>

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-- 
Nathan Simmons
trainman51 at gmail.com
http://www.t-51.org
KI4MSK