Durham division
NW Mailing List
nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Mon Sep 28 12:29:18 EDT 2020
There have been several comments/questions about the N&W in Durham, NC,
so I decided that I might help matters by posting what little I know.
To that end, I am enclosing a map published by
"durhambeltlineforeverybody.org" that shows the proposed conversion of
most of the former N&W Duke Belt Line to a "bike trail park" shown as a
dashed, blue line on the map (I don't know the status of this project).
I'll describe the N&W facilities and mode of operation as best as I can
aided by red labels that I have added to the map.
Freight trains from Lynchburg yarded their trains at Duke Yard north
of downtown Durham. After that the locomotives (Y class on "time"
freights and Z class on local freights) would travel light on the
belt line to the Shop (where I worked the summers of 1952 - 54 as a
laborer) for servicing to prepare them for their return trips to
Lynchburg. A local crew using an M class (a Class S1 my last
summer) would use the "N&W Freight Connection" (my designation) to
deliver cars from Duke Yard to the Seaboard Airline RR, Southern RY,
Norfolk Southern RY, and Durham & Southern Ry (I once had a cab ride
in one of D&S's Baldwin diesels from Durham to Apex, NC, and return).
Passenger trains from Lynchburg would take the north leg of the wye
at Duke Yard, pass the shop and then negotiate an 18-degree curve to
switch onto Southern Ry. tracks for a few blocks to Union Station.
After unloading at the station, the passenger trains would back to
the shop and be parked on a siding there. The next morning the Class
K1 locomotive would be taken off the siding, and a hostler and
hostler helper would back the locomotive to Duke wye for turning and
then back it to the shop for servicing. The hostler helper was
needed not only to fire the K1 on the way to the wye, but also
because he had to provide a lookout inasmuch as the movement would
cross three suburban streets (one day the hostler helper was off for
some reason, and I was uprated to hostler helper to fire the K1.
Much to my pleasant surprise the hostler told me to run the engine
and he would fire and throw the switches. So, my claim to fame is
that I have run a K1 passenger locomotive, never mind that it was in
reverse and at restricted speed.). The passenger cars were not
turned. Instead the K1 was simply coupled to the opposite end of
the passenger cars for the return trip to Lynchburg (on a few
occasions the regular coach cleaner was off, and I was assigned to
that job. It wasn't too bad until it came time for me to reverse
the mail hook on the RPO car. It was so heavy that it almost pulled
me out of the open doorway where I was standing.
Several photos of the Durham belt line with rails in place can be seen
by simply Googling "Durham Belt Line," and then clicking on "More
Images" to display a number of examples.
Gordon Hamilton
On 9/25/2020 2:40 PM, NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List wrote:
> Did the Norfolk and Western passenger trains use the Union station in
> central Durham or was there another station?
> James Smith
>
> On Friday, September 25, 2020, 01:03:16 PM EDT, NW Mailing List via
> NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
>
>
> Harry , thanks for your information.
> I have a map which shows the route through Durham where the line to
> Roxboro and Lynchburg operated. We have found the rails in several
> locations in Durham and trees have grown up through the tracks.
> Apparently the cost of removing these rails was more than their value.
> I understand Norfolk Southern still owns the right away. About 10
> years ago a commuter line was considered for at least a portion of
> this right away but nothing has been approved.
> Yes ,I have researched the SAL line from Durham to Henderson. It was
> abandoned decades ago and the rails have been removed. An old depot
> still remains in Creedmoor.
> James Smith
>
> On Friday, September 25, 2020, 11:43:18 AM EDT, NW Mailing List via
> NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
> We have discovered that many of the steel rails throughout Durham are
> still in evidence.
> I wonder why they were not removed?
> Jim:
> I'm not sure where you're finding steel rails in Durham. I haven"t
> been to Durham in
> ages, but bear this in mind:
> 1- The Durham attraction for rail traffic was The American Tobacco
> Co. So I've been
> told, ATCO closed the Durham plant and transferred operations to
> their plant
> in Reidsville. That could account for some of the rail if the
> story is correct.
>
> 2- Today's Norfolk Southern operates Greensboro thru Durham to
> Goldsboro on a
> right-of-way of the state-owned North Carolina Railroad. Maybe
> NCRR hasn't
> seen fit to take the expense to remove the rail. (Does NCRR have
> to pay
> state property tax ?)
>
> 3- To participate in the lucrative tobacco revenue, SAL had a branch
> from Henderson
> to Durham. Is it still in service ? The Norfolk Southern Railway
> had a branch
> from Duncan, NC laid in 70# rail and a maximum authorized speed of
> 20 MPH.
> In the late 1960s, the proposal to build a flood control dam on
> the New Hope
> River would have submerged 19 miles on the old NS connection and
> the federal
> government paid to realign the Durham connection in kind, but who
> was rolling
> 70 # rail in the late 60's ? The government offered NS the option
> of replacing the
> 70# rail with 100# relay rail IF NS paid the difference in cost.
> NS nixed the offer.
> The relocated line was completed in 1973 and on Janury 1, 1974, NS was
> absorbed by Southern Railway. AFter that, the Lucky Strikes went
> to location
> on the SRS.
> Could be that some of the NS Rwy. to South Durham is still in
> existence.
> Harry Bundy
> .
>
>
>
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