Arthur Tunnel and Old Line

[NW Mailing List]

Ben,

I don't have that answer.  Probably was, but don't know.  The old V&T R/W 
was used when the Shawsville Tunnel was daylighted in 1990-91.

Bud

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2014 8:45 PM
Subject: Re: Arthur Tunnel and Old Line



> Thanks for the information.  So, was the old alignment possibly used

> as a detour around that tunnel while it was daylighted?   I guess that

> is the main question I have.

>

> Thanks,

> Ben Blevins

>

>

> On 1/7/14, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:

>> Here is some of the history about the original trackage and improvements 

>> in

>> question at Arthur.

>>

>> The old road bed around the ridge is the original V&T route.  Moving coal

>> began in 1883 and it grew exponentially each year thereafter.  By 1887 

>> the

>> old line had reached its capacity and the N&W Railroad began to increase

>> capacity by making major line changes to lessen curvature and to reduce

>> grades.

>>

>> A major line relocation occurred from Vicker to Pelton (just west of

>> Christiansburg).  The old line had a severe grade from Grab Creek up to 

>> the

>> high grould to reach Christiansburg.  The new line had a more gradual 

>> grade

>> of one percent from Vicker to the Alleghany Summit; this was completed by

>> 1890.  Line relocations occurred on the east side of Christainsburg

>> Mountain, too.  The map that Bruce gave shows the new line at Arthur was

>> completed by the same time since it is dated 1890, and the new line

>> eliminated curves and had a short tunnel on the new line.

>>

>> After the line relocations were underway, the railroad began double

>> tracking.  In 1890 annual report, it listed 34.5 miles being prepared for

>> double tracking to increase capacity. In 1891 the 34.5 miles was double

>> tracked which included 12.66 miles from Radford to Christiansburg, and 

>> 21.84

>> miles from Roanoke to Elliston.  This was the first double tracking on 

>> the

>> N&W.

>>

>> In 1898 the line from Christiansburg to Elliston began being double 

>> tracked

>> by the N&W Railway and was done in stages.  By 1901, the double track had

>> been extended from Elliston to Shawsville Tunnel and from Christiansburg 

>> to

>> Montgomery.   The 1901 annual report lists 4.76 miles of double track was

>> added from Shawsville to Arthur and that the 150-foot tunnel at Arthur 

>> was

>> converted to a deep cut double track.  The double track on the eastern 

>> slope

>> of Christiansburg Mountain was completed in 1905 with the completion of 

>> the

>> second bore of Montgomery Tunnel.

>>

>> Bud Jeffries

>>   ----- Original Message -----

>>   From: NW Mailing List

>>   To: NW Mailing List

>>   Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2014 3:30 PM

>>   Subject: Arthur Tunnel and Old Line

>>

>>

>>   On Thu, Jan 2, 2014 at 10:56 AM, Al wrote:

>>

>>     Bruce,

>>

>>     Can you send that topo directly?  I get a 403 error.

>>

>>

>>

>>   I dropped the maps I downloaded on my N&W site; see

>> http://www.brucebharper.info/nwrwy/maps/maps.html for the PDF files from

>> 1890, 1932, and 1937, along with the image I cut from the 1890 map that

>> shows the three tunnels on the line.

>>

>>

>>   It would appear that the original V&T line went around the spur of the

>> ridge at Arthur, then the tunnel was bored through the ridge, then the

>> tunnel daylighted when the line was expanded from two tracks to three

>> starting there and continuing west.

>>

>>

>>   Bruce in Blacksburg

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

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

>>

>>

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