Roundhouses in Roanoke

Wed Sep 25 15:23:48 EDT 2019

Great story Gordon. In ’58 were railfans a daily occurrence at Shaffers? I’m assuming every week for sure based on the sheer volume of late stream photos I’ve seen taken at Shaffers? Sure would be nice to hear of your ’56 and ’58 experiences/recollections in an Arrow article or photo essay with detailed captions [right Ken : ) ]

My original post  “Was it easy to get permission to be in the roundhouse? Were you guided or allowed to roam?”  was to Ron Hash regarding his visit to the Virginian Roundhouse.

John Garner

From: NW Mailing List [mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org] 
Sent: Wednesday, September 25, 2019 1:15 PM
To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: Re: Roundhouses in Roanoke

John,

Between the time that I finished school in May 1956 and the time that I was drafted into the Army in September 1956, I was employed as a Shop Inspector in the Shaffers Crossing roundhouse.  One of my jobs was to escort railfans around Shaffers Crossing--at least those who checked in at the office.  Others just wandered around until someone directed them to the office.  There were no release papers to sign--it was a simpler time.

After two years in the Army I was again assigned as a Shaffers Crossing Shop Inspector in September 1958, and I again was assigned to escort railfans around Shaffers Crossing roundhouse, and this led to an interesting coincidental encounter.  I remember one day when I escorted two gentlemen from New Jersey,  Tom Taber and Halsey Tilton.  I remember them because they seemed a notch above the ordinary railfan in conversation and demeanor.  A couple of years later, in May 1970, I took a two-week tour of Switzerland by rail conducted by Swissair, and you can imagine my surprise when I walked into the Swissair boarding area at JFK in NY and found Tom Taber and Halsey Tilton who were taking the same tour.  I enjoyed their companionship throughout the tour.  The enclosed picture shows their reaction to the initials of the train that took us from Locarno, Switzerland, to Domodossola, Italy, where a connecting train took us through the Simplon Tunnel back into Switzerland.

Gordon Hamilton

On 9/24/2019 11:18 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:

Thx. Nice. Was it easy to get permission to be in the roundhouse? Were you guided or allowed to roam?     John Garner

From: NW Mailing List [mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org] 
Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2019 7:58 AM
To: NW Mailing List  <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: Re: Roundhouses in Roanoke

Yea John, that visit would have been about 1956, I recall about 3 4-6-2s sidelined outside the roundhouse and across the turntable was some new looking Virginian motors black with a bright yellow stripes. I have given the Arrow some poor quality b&w photos of the Pacifics but none have been printed . Ron Hash

On Monday, September 23, 2019, 9:57:32 AM EDT, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> > wrote: 

Ron, Any particular memories stand out? Were the steamers still in storage at that time?   John Garner

From: NW Mailing List [mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org] 
Sent: Sunday, September 22, 2019 5:53 PM
To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> >
Subject: Re: Roundhouses in Roanoke

I remember walking in the old Virginian roundhouse -- Ron Hash

On Friday, September 20, 2019, 6:21:47 AM EDT, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> > wrote: 

A sad sight Ken. Look forward to the Arrow article.

Abe, thanks for taking and sharing these photos with us. I’m sure it was all gone in less than a week. Rare photos indeed.

So now we know Roanoke had 6 roundhouses for 14 years; 1920-1934. What a busy place! Amazing.

John Garner

From: NW Mailing List [mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org] 
Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2019 5:38 PM
To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> >
Subject: Re: Roundhouses in Roanoke

John

Those photos will be in a future Arrow, but show the place being torn down. Abe seems to recall it was August 1960, but could be anytime that summer. The N&W had no use for the place, servicing was going to Shaffers Crossing or the electrics to the Motor Barn.

Shaffers Crossing roundhouse was completed in 1920 according to the annual report.

Here is Abe’s slide of the VGN roundhouse being demolished. Have to wait for the Arrow in the future for the larger image! :)

Ken Miller

On Sep 19, 2019, at 4:45 PM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> > wrote:

Ken,

These dates you've given would seem to indicate that there were 6 roundhouses standing in Roanoke for ten years 1924-1934. From my memory I'm thinking  Shaffers Crossing roundhouse was built in 1924. I've not looked up to confirm however.
To my knowledge the remaining roundhouse in East End Shops is the last original building of the Roanoke Machine Works. There was a portion of the original RMW foundry standing (later became part of the Research Lab) until a few years ago. It was attached to the east end of the Boiler Shop.

John Garner

P.S. Do Abe's slides show it being torn down or just abandoned. I haven't seen them. Thx.

-----Original Message-----
From: NW Mailing List [mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org] 
Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2019 1:36 PM
To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> >
Subject: Re: Roundhouses in Roanoke

John

The roundhouse for the VGN was taken down in summer 1960 as per Abe Burnett’s slides. The two at 12th Street came down in 1934 just before year end from a file I have somewhere on them. The Shaffer Crossing one stood until about 1982, the passenger car one at Roanoke Shops is still standing, the one at the Shops turntable was still there, late steam era, like 1957, but I don’t know exactly when it was taken down.

Best
Ken Mller

On Sep 19, 2019, at 9:58 AM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> > wrote:

For general interest.

Portion of a Roanoke map c.1930 by Sone Printing Co.

For a relatively small city . . . six roundhouses are shown standing 
at that particular time. Not sure for how many years that was true. Ten at most?

John Garner, Newport VA

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