Ball's Hole on the Radford Division

[NW Mailing List]

On 3/13/2020 9:05 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:

> Tom told me that before the Class M 4-8-0's came around, standard 
> practice had been to add an assisting engine, Class W, on westbound 
> trains out of Roanoke, specifically to get the trains up the grade to 
> Singer and through Balls Hole.  Sometimes, he said, two assisting 
> engines would be used out of Roanoke.  More complete details are in 
> the item I posted years to this List ago, but I believe Tom said that 
> if only one assisting engine was used, it went ahead, and if two were 
> used, one went ahead of the road engine, and one behind the train.
>
> These assisting engines out of Roanoke would cut off at Elliston, 
> cross over to the eastbound main track and return to Roanoke (running 
> backwards ???)  or in some cases just to Salem, to assist another 
> westwar train. /*(But assisting a westbound from Salem almost requires 
> turning, does it not? */ Was there a turntable or wye at Salem...?)
Abe,
     Considering your first paragraph above, why would you assume the 
second paragraph?

Jimmy Lisle
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