N&W 2157

Tue Sep 22 11:14:53 EDT 2020

Ed,

Yes, the Villamont middle track was about 1.5 miles long. The water tank was right about in the middle along with a 3 degree curve just west. The west end of the middle track was almost at the top of the grade. The pushers kept that portion of the middle track busy.

John Garner

From: NW Mailing List [mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org] 
Sent: Monday, September 21, 2020 11:41 PM
To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: Re: N&W 2157

I made my photos near the water tank with the willows on display.

Was “Villamont” the name of that middle track?

Ed King

From: NW Mailing List 

Sent: Monday, September 21, 2020 10:43 PM

To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>  

Subject: RE: N&W 2157

Ed,

I think part of the problem lies with the fact that ‘Villamont’ can refer to anywhere along approximately 2 miles of right-of-way that does includes lengthy portions of almost tangent track both east and west of where the depot was located. In fact it seems like any location along the right-of-way west of the 460-highway underpass to the top of the Blue Ridge grade can be loosely referred to as ‘Villamont’. Even the Villamont interlocking tower and the depot were approximately a half mile apart with the water tank (with Willow trees) located between them. And then there’s the east end of the middle track that most folks would still refer to as Villamont.

I believe this photo of the Blue Ridge pusher 2157 is looking west from a location just west of Villamont Rd. (State Route 698). I’ve attached a photo taken from the same location but looking east across the Villamont Rd. crossing.

Villamont on the railroad is a spread out location. Anyone know precisely where the depot was located?

John Garner

From: NW Mailing List [mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org] 
Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2020 9:24 PM
To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> >
Subject: Re: N&W 2157

Nope.  It still isn’t Villamont.  The track at the Villamont tank was straight, and this isn’t.  Plus if he’s on the WB main, where was the middle track and the eastbound?  I have photos of both 1214 and 1218 passing there and the track is straight and there were weeping willows around.

- Ed King

From: NW Mailing List 

Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2020 4:20 PM

To: NW Mailing List 

Subject: Re: N&W 2157

Sorry, but I’m sticking with my original assessment of it being Villamont. 

Mr. Schlotthober and Mr. Bundy were at the archives today and we discussed and looked at several photos and track charts and I believe they are in agreement with me that it is Villamont. Charlie initially thought it might be Bonsack but a study of the track charts and Google maps seems to make that unlikely.

We present the following evidence:

The original photo is a wooden water tank. Bonsack was a steel tank. 

The 1953 track chart indicates a slight right hand curve coming into Villamont, with a short spur off to the left, perhaps only 2 cars long, enough to hold a pusher engine and maybe a touch longer,

Now observe the following photo of 611 at Bonsack, from further west.

Wooden water tank, compare to original photo, there are two tall telephone poles.

Note the slight curve. Since the original photo is not very high resolution, it appears that the westbound Tennessean is on the other main track, which helps explain why the pusher is on the westbound track.

In looking over the track chart between milepost 228 (Bedford) and MP 255 (Vinton) there are only two places with water tanks, one is Villamont, the other is Bonsack. Bonsack was clearly a steel tank:

https://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=98168

https://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=145614

I agree about the weeping willows, but they are closer to the creek on the other side, behind the hopper train.

Here is a view of 611 heading west with the Arrow at Villamont with wooden water tank in place, sorry the photo was not wide enough to show the spur.

https://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=91376

I believe the defense rests its case! :)

Ken Miller

On Sep 17, 2020, at 4:09 PM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> > wrote:

There are enough tracks shown, plus the water tank. An old track chart would help.

Jimmy Lisle

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

-------- Original message --------

From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> > 

Date: 9/17/20 11:18 AM (GMT-05:00) 

To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> > 

Subject: Re: N&W 2157 

Sorry.  It isn't Villamont.  The line is straight through there and there 
were weeping willow trees.  Also there was a center siding there and an 
eastbound main, none of those switches and sidings fit Villamont.

It is definitely a pusher backing up.

- Ed King

-----Original Message----- 
From: NW Mailing List
Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2020 9:14 AM
To: NW Mailing List
Subject: Re: N&W 2157

I concur about Villamont.  No doubt that's the location.

Jeff Hawkins

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> >
To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> >
Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2020 7:38 AM
Subject: Re: N&W 2157

> Frank
>
> Looks to me like Villamont, with a westbound empty train.
>
> My speculation is this westbound, with one or two things: either may have 
> been a bit overloaded, or they were having issues with their motive power, 
> or it was simplest operation to send the pusher back west on the rear of 
> this train, but with the exhaust, it appears to be working, not just along 
> for the ride.
>
> This is the normal pusher assigned to Boaz, that came over the hill to 
> help shove the empty train west on its way back to Boaz.
>
> The flag is a yellow flag, signifying the end of train, note the yellow 
> markers on the rear of the caboose.
>
> The pushers would place the yellow flag, normally in the knuckle on the 
> shove east over Blue Ridge, but whom ever placed this one stuck it off to 
> the side.
>
> Just my speculation
>
> Ken Miller
>
>> On Sep 17, 2020, at 4:21 AM, NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List 
>> <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> > wrote:
>>
>>  Good morning, all:
>>
>> I have attached a negative scan of N&W 2157 at an unidentified location, 
>> available on eBay which I will not be bidding upon. I have three 
>> questions:
>> 1) Any location guesses? There appears to be a water tank in the distance 
>> behind the cars.
>> 2) Does the caboose behind the tender signify that this was a mine run or 
>> local?
>> 3) There is a white flag on the pilot. Is this the flag location for an 
>> extra on the N&W? Most other railroads had a flag holder near the 
>> classification lamps.
>>
>> Best wishes,
>>
>> Frank Scheer
>> mailto:f_scheer at yahoo.com%3cN <mailto:f_scheer at yahoo.com%3cN&W_2157.jpg%3e________________________________________> &W_2157.jpg%3e________________________________________
>> NW-Mailing-List at nwhs.org <mailto:NW-Mailing-List at nwhs.org> 
>> To change your subscription go to
>> http://list.nwhs.org/mailman/options/nw-mailing-list
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>> http://list.nwhs.org/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/
>
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