Norfolk Division middle tracks

[NW Mailing List]

I'll second Ben's "thank you" for all the great information that was shared. 
I learned a lot in this discussion.

Jeff Hawkins



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Sunday, April 07, 2013 8:58 AM
Subject: Re: Norfolk Division middle tracks



> Thank you everyone for your replies!  I appreciate it!  Seeing as how

> I'm one of the few signalmen on the railroad who is interested in its

> history, I get a lot of questions from the people I work with about

> "why" and "where", and so on and so forth.

>

> Just last week I was telling the Suffolk signal maintainer where the

> old Dwight coal track and power house used to be.  After I explained

> it to him, he said "Oh, so that is what that is!".  And, he's a 30

> year man.

>

> We are knee deep in the Petersburg to Norfolk signal project.  This is

> the most extensive and complicated signal project I've ever been

> involved in.  I wondered why this stretch of track had never been

> signaled in both directions in the first place, but everyone's

> explanations of how the middle tracks were used made that clear.

> Thanks!

>

> Ben Blevins

>

>

> On 4/4/13, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:

>> Ben:

>>

>> You can add Thaxton middle track, between Bedford and Montvale, removed

>> in 1958, just after the Thaxton station, retired in 1957. Frank Gibson

>>

>> On 4/4/2013 5:22 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:

>>> Ben -

>>>

>>> I don't know the exact date(s) they were removed, however I'm inclined

>>> to say it was likely sometime in the 1960's.  I'd like to know for

>>> certain myself.  The purpose of the center sidings were to allow

>>> passenger trains to bypass slower coal trains and time freights

>>> without occupying the opposing mainline track. There were middle

>>> tracks along the Norfolk Division mainline at the following locations:

>>>

>>> Juniper (full length still in use)

>>> Myrtle

>>> Dwight/Zuni

>>> Ivor (a short section still remains in use)

>>> Wakefield

>>> Waverly

>>> Poe

>>> Sutherland

>>> Ford

>>> Wilsons

>>> Blackstone

>>> Nottoway

>>> Burkeville

>>> Pamplin

>>> Appomattox

>>> Bedford

>>> Montvale

>>> Villamont

>>> Bonsack

>>>

>>> Jeff Hawkins

>>>

>>> www.railsinvirginia.com

>>> www.railfirephotography.com

>>>

>>>

>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

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

>>> *Sent: *Thursday, April 4, 2013 5:36:51 AM

>>> *Subject: *Norfolk Division middle tracks

>>>

>>> Can anyone tell me when the middle tracks were removed on the Norfolk

>>> Division?  I have seen where there used to be middle tracks at Myrtle,

>>> Dwight, and Waverly that I've noticed.

>>>

>>> Thanks,

>>> Ben Blevins

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>>

>>

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