HQ Tower

[NW Mailing List]

Grant-

 

Thanks for the information. I did not realize there was an “early version” and a “late version” of HQ Tower. 

 

Do you know about when the late version was built? 

 

Are there any photos of the late version?

 

Paul Mandelkern

 

From: NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org> On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2021 5:38 PM
To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Subject: HQ Tower

 

Paul,

Yes, this is the "early version." It was west of the stone twin-arch underpass for Beaverpond Creek and old SR 85 (now 102) to Falls Mills. This tower had levers/rods and a porch where clearance cards and orders could be handed directly to passing crews.

The "late version" I referenced was east of the underpass, had a TC board and orders had to be hooped up.

Grant Carpenter

On 8/25/2021 1:37 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:

The HQ Tower in Bluefield (Graham) Virginia was a two-story wooden structure. See the photo attached.

 

Paul Mandelkern

Winter Park, Florida


On 8/24/2021 8:15 AM, Grant Carpenter wrote:

Marty,

Crews referred to them variously as "operator," "tower" or by name. The three mainline Pocahontas towers you mention below, plus HQ tower (the late version), were of a similar frame design. Two exceptions were Devon (mentioned earlier, was in the depot) and Eckman, between Bluestone and Tug. The Eckman operator was in the yard office, a depot-like structure pictured in Alex's book, "The Norfolk And Western In West Virginia 1881-1959" on page 261. 

As mentioned, the operator count was a moving target and declined through the 1950s. A handy inflection point that includes those mentioned here was the start of centralizing TC in Bluefield. I believe Bluestone was the first to move and close, barely making it into 1950, then Eckman, then HQ.

Grant Carpenter 



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