Subject: Re: Location ID

NW Mailing List nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Wed Jul 23 17:13:40 EDT 2025


Abe and Matt and all
>From memory I always heard it was in the Commerce street building and then moved to the old Roanoke and Southern Passenger station.  I had been to the old station/warehouse  many times with my mother. . Not sure if it move back to the commerce street location.  The next time in my memory it was moved to route 24 near Vinton, VA.  At that location it was no longer operated by the railroad.  Best I can recall it was a contract operation with a private party.  Do recall a Salvage Warehouse sigh at the location that was rather hard to see from the road.
Best I can do from memory.
Jim Blackstock 

On Wednesday, July 23, 2025 at 03:06:50 PM EDT, NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote: 
  

 Abe’s question about the salvage warehouse:
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.  [snip] (Does anyone know what department in the N&W's organization ran the salvage warehouses...?)
tickled a memory of an article on this subject in an older N&W magazine. I dug it up (December, 1923, The “Ole Hoss” in New Quarters) and found that, ironically, the article covered the operation moving into the R&S depot that Abe remembers it moving out of. The article states that the previous-to-1923 quarters for the operation was "the old freight station on Commerce street".
As to Abe’s question, the article wasn’t as helpful as I hoped it would be. The closest it gets is stating that the Salvage Warehouse is a very necessary adjunct to the railroad and particularly to the Claim Department, and was run by Col. W.S. Battle, Jr., general claim agent. 
Matt GoodmanColumbus, Ohio


On Jul 22, 2025, at 12:10 PM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
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 burnettSignature & Designer Turnips.
________________________________________
NW-Mailing-List at nwhs.org
To change your subscription go to
https://pairlist6.pair.net/mailman/options/nw-mailing-list
Browse the NW-Mailing-List archives at
https://pairlist6.pair.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/


________________________________________
NW-Mailing-List at nwhs.org
To change your subscription go to
https://pairlist6.pair.net/mailman/options/nw-mailing-list
Browse the NW-Mailing-List archives at
https://pairlist6.pair.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/
  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://pairlist6.pair.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/attachments/20250723/7552a655/attachment-0001.htm>


More information about the NW-Mailing-List mailing list