How Was the Potts Valley Branch Worked ?

[NW Mailing List]

Abe

Here is a quote out of a letter in my files, the first of a small file on reduction in service to three days a week on Potts Valley Branch. Letter was to General Manager J. E. Crawford from General Superintendent E.S. Moore, General Superintendent, dated July 25, 1930.

"Regarding your verbal inquiry a few days ago having reference to reducing service to three days per week on Potts Valley Branch. 

Have handled this matter with Superintendent Smith and for your information, am quoting his reply of July 24th, from which you will note he recommends that trip-weekly service be inaugurated on the Branch, effecting an approximate savings of $500 per month:
“I think it practicable and advisable to place the Potts Valley Branch train service on a three-day a week basis.

The crew does no local work between East Radford and Ripplemead. It handles between East Radford and Ripplemead, cars for and from the Potts Valley Branch. Occasionally coming east it moves loaded loaded livestock cars from Ripplemead, Eggleston and bedspring. This can be done by run-through trains.

As far as I know there is no business on the Potts Valley branch which requires daily train service.
I believe that by putting the Potts Valley Branch on alternate day service could effect a savings of more than $500 per month wages and fuel.

I recommend that such proposition be included in the present program of passenger train service reductions.”

I concur in Mr. Smith’s recommendations.

Yours truly"

This was, of course, the start, of reduction in service that finally, after SCC approval, went into effect September 28, 1930.

Among the documents in the file, one records the locomotives used for this train, primarily being the 771 (W2 2-8-0) from August 1-8 in July 1929, the 468 (Class M 4-8-0) August 10-13, then back to 771 for the rest of the month.

Another statement records ridership of the trains from July 1929 to June 1930, totaling 2,823 with revenue of $1,022.73. That is an average of 27 days per month (not running on Sunday) or roughly 8.72 passengers per operating day.

Ridership dropped from 4,856 in 1924, down to 2,699 by 1929.

Freight (combined received and forwarded) from 20,993 tons in 1924 to 35,952 in 1929. While the tonnage grew, the revenue did not, 1924, $25,306 to $14,157.43 in 1929.

Over answers your original question a bit. But no, operated out of East Radford.

Best
Ken Miller

> On Sep 10, 2023, at 6:18 PM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
> 
> Back when the Potts Valley Fast Line was in service all the way to Paint Bank, how was the job worked?
> 
> Did the engine and crew come out of Radford daily, then return to Radford after working the branch? Or did they come out of, and tie up at, Narrows? If at Narrows, was the engine serviced at the Narrow Branch service track, over on the Wolf Creek (south) side of the Main Line ?
> 
> -- abram burnett
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