Norfolk Interlocking?

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From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Tue, Mar 27, 2012 8:03 am
Subject: Re: Norfolk Interlocking?


Thanks, Harry.  Was there ever a tower in Norfolk east of Bridge 5?  Was the trackage at the Union Terminal controlled from Bridge 5?  Where was NF train order office located?  Was NS the next tower going west?
 
In emp tts what does the letter "O" represent?  I know what W, C, T, Y, X stand for.
 
Glenn



Glenn:
I believe "O" in the timetable represents location of scales.  Yes, there was one tower between
Bridge 5 and Lamberts Point --  Lovitt Avenue.  The primary duty of the operators there was
to operate the crossing gates, but they did control the crossing of the Norfolk Southern's Beach
Division.  This was VGN's route to Union Terminal and their Norfolk freight depot and until about
1939, it was the route of NS's Raleigh-Norfolk passenger trains. 

Bridge 5 controlled the Union Terminal/Lamberts Point Branch junction, but the turnouts at the
station were hand-throw and probably lined by a switch tender.  "NF" (later "FK") was on the first
floor of the terminal building adjacent to the stub end tracks.

Timetable west of Bridge 5, the next tower was NS Junction.  This was an "armstrong" lever-operated
interlocking.  When it was dismantled, Mr. Claytor realized the historical significance of the interlocking
and had the contents saved for VMT.  Unfortunately,  the levers, interlocking, etc. were placed in a
gondola, and someone routed the car to a scrap dealer.  "NS" had the responsibility of clearing all
westbounds with the proper train orders, including the passenger trains after the station was moved from
Main Street to Lamberts Point.   N&PBL had trackage rights over the NS at this point.

One other interlocking deserves mention -- Bridge 7.  After "S" at Suffolk was closed, the Bridge 7 
operator became the controller for the VGN-ACL-A&D crossings with the N&W -- 15 miles to the west.
                                                                                    Harry Bundy

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