Radford and Vicinity Facilities

[NW Mailing List]

The GOB East lunch break discussion on Saturday was wide-ranging as usual,
but a portion of it covered what facilities were in the Radford yard, at
Walton, and Vicker. A little data mining in the Annual Reports CD turned up
a list. It probably isn't the sum total of what was where and when but it
is a starting point for discussion and expansion.

Bruce in Blacksburg
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1900
The low grade branch line near Radford opened for traffic early in October.

1902
Walton: Overhead coaling station erected.

1903
Walton: Overhead coaling station extended to provide for 2 additional
tracks.
East Radford: Standard capacity 60-ft. turntable erected in place of
lighter one.

1906
A water filter was constructed at East Radford.
Water softening plant installed at Walton

1914
Electric drive ash hoist installed at East Radford, Va.

1918
Coaling station constructed at Vicker, Va.

1920
An engine shed was constructed at East Radford, Va.

There is under construction at East Radford, Virginia, a tie treating plant
with a capacity of one million ties per year.

1921
A complete water supply plant, consisting of a 2,000,000 gallon per day
brick-concrete pumping station, with electrically driven centrifugal pumps,
a 200,000 gallon concrete storage tank, together with about 2000 feet of
8-inch and 12-inch cast iron pipe line, was installed at East Radford.

A timber preserving plant, with a capacity of 1,000,000 ties annually, for
treatment of cross ties, lumber, etc., was completed and placed in service
at East Radford, Virginia.

Electric pumping plant installed at East Radford, Va.,

1923
150-ton track scales -- replacing lighter scales -- were erected at East
Radford, Va.,

1930
A coal hoist equipped to serve two grades of coal, sand tower, sand house
and sand dryer were erected at East Radford, Va.

1937
Standard 50,000 gallon water tank installed at Vicker, Va.

At East Radford, Va,, a building, including necessary machinery, was
installed for pre-framing bridge ties.

1946
At Radford, Va., work was nearing completion on modernization of the engine
terminal facilities.

1950
At Radford, Va., facilities for quick vapor drying of green cross ties and
other timber, eliminating longer open-air seasoning.

1953
At Radford, Va., new fireproof passenger station.

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There were also comments about what the Radford stations looked like, both
East and West Radford. The Library of Virginia has images from a newspaper
publication in 1915, the "Radford Record Album" published byt the Radford
Record-Advance.

This link explains the why of the publication:
http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/guides/opac/radfordabout.htm

Go to this page and enter "Norfolk and Western" to get a list of 10 images
in the collection related to the railroad.

Here are some of the images:

http://image.lva.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/photo.cgi/VDLP/Radford/images/34b
Title East Radford Norfolk & Western depot in 1898

http://image.lva.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/photo.cgi/VDLP/Radford/images/54c
Radford Norfolk & Western Division office

http://image.lva.virginia.gov/VDLP/Radford/images/35b.jpg Image
Radford Norfolk & Western depot [graphic].

http://image.lva.virginia.gov/VDLP/Radford/images/34f.jpg Image
East Radford Norfolk & Western depot
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