Pocahontas Division Book/ January 1956 wreck

NW Mailing List nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Wed Jul 25 22:05:21 EDT 2012



I will note on a few items in the new book on the Pocahontas Division by Mason Cooper. First, is that there was a source that said that 611 derailed her trailing truck in Roanoke not once, but three times. Noted also was the Willard family's suit against the N&W, but doubt that the family got anything from it, due to the high speed of the train at the time of the wreck. I am curious whether there is any record of any proceedings on this case, or was it settled out of court? I am also curious who in the Willard family who could have presented the suit, unless it was Walter's widow, Carrie Willard, as all three of Walter's brothers (Jim, John and J.W. (known as Spot)) were employed by the N&W. I would also welcome any discussion on the speed of the train at the time of the wreck (estimated as 53.6 mph by then-Pocahontas Division superintendent P. C. Wingo for the few miles between Devon and Cedar. )This all I am using for the final work on my book, Midnight on the Pocahontas, the first chapter of which I plan to preview in parts in the Arrow.
Lois J. Ponton
Friends of the 611
ljpli at hotmail.com
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