Subject: Re: Location ID
NW Mailing List
nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Tue Jul 22 12:10:51 EDT 2025
Mr. Wall of Rural Hall sent a photo for identification.
Yes, that is a northward train off the Punkin Vine coming around the West
Leg of the Campbell Ave Wye.
Given the afternoon sun, my guess is the train is No. 76, the northward 4th
Class Local Freight coming in. 75 and 76, the Punk locals, usually ran
with just two engines, but it looks like there is a third engine in this
day's train.
I worked on the Punkin Vine for two years, and can tell you that 76 and 76
were usually 15 or 16 hour a day jobs. They were killers, the
quintessential "Rawhide Locals," but they were money-makers. A Brakeman
was walking on ballast stone almost all day long. There was a HUGE amount
of local business on the Punk. If a young Brakeman was first out on the
Extra List at Roanoke early on a Monday, he was invariably called for 75,
the local to Winston, He took rest in Winston that night, and came back
the next day (Tuesday) to Roanoke on 76. After 8 hours, rest, guess what
job he was called for early Wednesday Morning? Down to Winston on the
local again, and back home on Thursday on 76, and dog-tired by the time he
hit bed. Early Friday morning, the phone rang again: 6 o'clock AM for No.
75 again. That meant coming back to Roanoke on 76 on Saturday, for his
sixth day on a killer local again. Everyone worked at top speed on
Saturday, to get back to Roanoke early, and usually we made it in with 9 or
10 hours on duty. The locals were six-day a week runs, so there was no
local called on Sunday morning. So on Sunday, our Brakeman would probably
be called out for First 53 around 11 AM, or Second 53, around 1:30 PM.
In addition to 76 and 76 working long days, there were also two Shifters
which worked long hours on the Punkin Vine. The Martinsville Switcher came
out of Payne in the mornings and worked around Martinsville. Then there
was a First Bassett Shifter at 6 AM, and the Second Bassett Shifter at 3
PM. These shifters used the main track under "Work Extra" Train Orders,
e.g. Eng 673 works Extra 601 AM to 601 PM Tuesday March 16 1964 between
Jondee Overload Siding and Fontaine not protecting. This meant that the
Work Extra could move in either direction on the main track, and did not
have to flag against either scheduled or extra trains. The Conductors of
the Switchers were always on the wayside telephones with the Train
Dispatcher, and would be told when to get in the clear for through
freights. No radios back then, ya know... we railroaded the Old Time way.
Now for a funny story... non-railroad, if'n His Honnur da List Moderator
doth permit such things. Do you see that building in the upper right
corner of Mr. Wall's photo? That building was built about 1962 (+/1 one
year,) and I think the first occupant was the Firestone Tire Company.
I was downtown one day, as that building was nearing completion. I noticed
the workmen along the west side of the building using their hammers to
break loose the top course of bricks. That seemed a curious activity at a
building which was still under construction, so I inquired of one of the
workmen on the ground. His answer was short: "They got one too many
courses of brick on the west wall, and now they have to tear it off." Ouch
!
That building is built on the location of the Roanoke & Southern Railroad
depot, which served as the N&W's Salvage Warehouse, where damaged articles
of freight were sold very cheaply. The R%S depot was just a big old
ramshackle, non-descript wooden structure, to which the last chips of cream
and brown paint clung for dear life. After the R&S depot was demolished,
the Salvage Warehouse operation was moved up to the Atlantic Mississippi &
Ohio depot, in the northeast quadrant of the Commerce Street Crossing,
which building was principally occupied by the Railway Express Company.
(Does anyone know what department in the N&W's organization ran the salvage
warehouses...?)
One more thing: The Punkin Vine Locals carried three Brakemen at that
time, due to the amount of work. Head End Brakeman, Middle Brakeman and
Flagman. The Middle Brakeman always rode the Engine. Back in the days
when Local Freights also carried a "package car" (a box car for LCL freight
shipments,) many Locals also had a 4th Brakeman, due to amount of LCL
freight which had to be loaded and unloaded at each station. The railroads
got out of the LCL freight business sometime around 1959 or
1960... perhaps some other Old Geezer remembers the date ???
Would I go out on No. 75 tomorrow morning, if called ? You bett'cha... but
I could not move very fast using my cane !
-- abram burnett
Signature & Designer Turnips
.
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