Switchtenders at Roanoke

[NW Mailing List]

Jimmy,
This is some of the unique information I'd hoped would be shared regarding Roanoke Terminal. Thanks so much passing this along. This is information/nomenclature that is so easily lost because it's so unique to a particular location on the RR.
Two quick questions:
What time frame (or decades) would most of these names have been familiar to RT operating crews/dispatchers?
Secondly, could a new hire have read/learned any of this in a bulletin or ETT, or was it all learned by ear from older men?
Best,  John Garner

-----Original Message-----
From: NW Mailing List [mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org] 
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2020 12:58 PM
To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: Re: Switchtenders at Roanoke

John,
     The wye tracks are referred to as their compass position - east leg, west leg, south leg.
     The departure yard is - The Forwarding Yard.
     The Old East Bound main line is often referred to as Track 57, especially past 15th St., # One Forwarding yard turns into Track 56 beyond 15th St and  #2 F/Y turns into track 55. The westward track leading from these toward the Big Hopper yard #1-#10 is "Route 66"
     The receiving yard, west of the hump, is the "Big Hopper" yard, tracks 1 -20. Tracks 1-10 can only be reached via the hump or Rt.66. 
Tracks 11-20 can only be reached by the East or West bound running tracks the hump or the Drag Strip. The Drag Strip is next to the EB RT.
     Switch box for east end of Big Hopper yard is "606", at the west it is "672".
     Cleanout tracks are "The Dirty Hole".
     Stock Pen Lead comes off of the Old East Bound main line east of the west end of the 1-10 big hopper ladder.
     The west end of Park St. yard is known as the Old Pull Up.
     The Radford Div. Cab track
     The "Motive Power Ladder" parallels the "Empty Side Ladder" and both run back in to the WB running track at 30th St. There is a cross over to the EBRT there also.
     West end of the Empty Side yard is "510".

     Jimmy Lisle