Missing Towers Around Roanoke

[NW Mailing List]

The research resulting in my The Arrow series on N&W signaling discovered that the old Randolph St tower, "used continuously for 46 years," was replaced by the new one in 1950.  Doing the math, it appears that the old one was built in 1904.

Glenn Fisher

Cornwall PA

> On July 8, 2019 at 6:36 PM NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
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> 
>     Just a reminder, Brothers, as we meditate, ruminate and dig through all the records.
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> 
>     Four things we yet require in order to get the record anywhere near reasonably complete around Roanoke:
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>     1.  RANDOLPH ST, ROANOKE - Date for installation of the first interlocking plant (and associated tower.)
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>     2.  UN TOWER, WEST ROANOKE - Date for installation and and removal of interlocking.  UN was near the south side of the [later] large Shaffers Crossing Round House.    The interlocking at this point seems to have have been removed around 1906, when the big yard was constructed west of [present] 24th Street.  The structure seems to have remained standing until about 1940, used for an office building with Operator, where crews registered their trains and got Train Orders and Clearance Card, and I have no idea what else [e.g. a yardmaster] may have been in the building.  UN  >>> may <<<  have been the N&W's first interlocking. [leaving HJ Hagerstown out of the equation, as that was really another railroad's tower.]
> 
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>     3.  RO TOWER (or  EAST ROANOKE TOWER) -  Date for construction and removal (it was in service at least as early as 1895.)  This tower stood immediately east of Tinker Creek, on north side of track, and handled the east end of the double track extending eastward from Roanoke proper.
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>     4.  NR NORTH ROANOKE TOWER.  Date for construction and removal.  Interlocked, handled north end of double track at present location of North Roanoke.  Structure on west side of track.
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>     5.  As an Extra Credit Question, how about some information on the control of traffic at the VGN's crossing of the west end of the Roanoke Belt Line.  That diamond crossing seems never even to had a name !  What method was in effect for prevent a side collision between a VGN freight and an N&W move on the Belt Line?  The Belt Line was a fairly active piece of railroad 1917-1918, when northward trains off the Roanoke & Southern (Punkin' Vine) entered Roanoke Yard by use of the Belt Line.  Surely some form of control was in use at the diamond.
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>     A completion of the record also cries out for photographs of these places, too !
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> 
>     -- abram burnett,
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>     deputy assistant secretary of turnips
> 
> 
>     ===========================================
>                       Sent to You from my Telegraph Key
>     Successor to the MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH LINE of 1844
>     ===========================================
> 


 

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