How Much Traffic on the VGN Narrows-Roanoke ?

[NW Mailing List]

 Abra Ham - 11 eastbound coal trains sounds about right.  After reporting for duty and arriving at the east end, a coal train had to double over, test air, and knock out any cars that failed the brake test.  That took about two hours, plus any delay caused by clearing 1st class trains.  N&W Radford Division Timetable #23 (eff 10/31/65) does not make a distinction in tonnage ratings between Kellysville and Narrows,  but grade wise, I believe the VGN side was better. Not sure if the Merrimac pusher was still in use, but in the SD-45, GP-9 era, a 6-axle unit was rated at 5200 tons Kellysville to Roanoke via Whitethorne and a 4-axle unit was rated at 3200 tons.  Bluefield to Roanoke via Christiansburg -- 6-axle units were rated at 3,000 tons and 4-axle units were rated at 2,000 tons
    On Wednesday, September 13, 2023 at 01:22:46 AM EDT, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:  
 
 Everyone loves the Virginian.

So can anyone post a little synopsis of how much traffic, and of what kind, is moving these days over the VGN between Narrows and Roanoke?

I am just wondering if all this eastbound traffic will someday be moved via the "Christiansburg side," once the VGN is turned over to the state. My bet is that no one knows, even the planners in At-lan-tuh.

I can remember when there were 22 (and sometimes 24) assigned pool crews in the Roanoke-Bluefield Slow Freight Pool, and those crews worked every single day.  That equates to about 11 coal trains a day coming east, and about 11 empty trains a day going west.  78 was light and fast and often ran via Christiansburg, and 84 did the same occasionally.  All other eastbound freights ran the Wooden Axle.

-- abram burnett

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