Need Help Identifying Mystery N&W Audio Recordings

[NW Mailing List]

Eli,

Thank you for sharing these recordings with the list! Audio archives are 
so rare and yet so valuable. They are like a time-machine. Will there be 
more to come?

Here are my thoughts re: N&W From Salem 1 file.

"from Salem" is extremely helpful.

I happened to have a April 1952 NW public timetable nearby and reviewed 
a few train schedules. Your recordings were probably made a few years 
later than '52. Never the less the timetable shows that no 'named' N&W 
or SOU trains stopped (or even Flag stopped) at Elliston in 1952. The 
same is true in an Oct.1957 timetable.

If westbound from Salem, this recording is most likely on board Train 9, 
the Local between Roanoke and Bristol. This train was discontinued 
12.31.1957. It could also be Train 23 which was discontinued in mid 1955 
depending on the date of the recording. The timetable shows 20 minutes 
for Train 9 from Salem to Elliston (Train 23 = 21 minutes) which matches 
your recording nicely. Elliston is the next westbound stop after 
departing Salem and is listed as a Flag stop for both trains.

However, timetables also show eastbound trains taking approximately 20 
minutes to go from Salem to Roanoke (next stop), which also matches your 
recording nicely. So which direction is correct?

The mileages are as follows:

Salem to Elliston 13.15 miles
Salem to Roanoke 6.85 miles

So the train's average speed from a Start to Stop with a recorded time 
of 19.2 minutes would be 41 mph Salem to Elliston, 21 mph Salem to 
Roanoke. Based on these averages I believe the train must be westbound 
because the recorded sound definitely isn't averaging 21 mph.

I notated the times when the engineer blew for grade crossings and went 
to a Jan. 1958 track chart. The whistle signals on your recording 
matches the crossings very nicely between Salem and Elliston. There are 
a lot of track sounds toward the end of this recording. This may be due 
the middle-track passing siding and numerous other turnouts near the 
station in Elliston.

This is a wonderful recording! Thanks again for sharing.

I hope this helps and I look forward to 'sleuthing' the next two files 
you shared.

John Garner, Newport, VA


___________________________________________________


Hello list,



Yesterday I remastered three reels of N&W steam audio from the 
collection
of Kenneth Gear. Link below:



https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IinBl8dGyqwavF_73ZNNePkZVNHgjshS?usp=sharing



The reason I’m posting about this is because I need help identifying
details about these recordings that are not explicitly mentioned on the
tape boxes. Two of the three files in the folder I linked are on-train
recordings. The boxes for these reels were simply labeled “N&W” and “N&W
from Salem”. Below are some written details/observations about these two
tapes:



The reel marked “from Salem” starts with a class J 4-8-4 likely 
departing
Salem, Virginia. The engine quickly accelerates and runs at high speed
continuously for about 19 minutes. The reel ends with the engine 
stopping
at the next station. My guess is that the train is the Cavalier, though
I’ve no idea which direction it’s heading. My question is, which station
was next after Salem and did the Cavalier have to run for a long 
distance
to reach said station?

The next reel opens as the train is accelerating out of what I can only
assume is the station which ended the first reel. As the engine climbs
upgrade, a Time Freight likely powered by an A drifts downgrade and 
rushes
passed the microphone. The J runs continuously for about 7 minutes 
before
stopping at the next station. The recording stops, then starts again as 
the
engine again departs with pop valve going full blast. The engine 
continues
its journey for the next 9 minutes, going through a few tunnels along 
the
way. The reel ends midway through the engine’s run.

The third reel, labeled “N&W 1221 & 2144”, begins with A #1221 
accelerating
a coal extra out of an unknown location as a thunderstorm is rolling in. 
Y6
#2144 is the helper. My question for this recording is, at which points
east or west of Blue Ridge did A’s handle coal extras without a Y6 lead
engine, but with a pusher at the rear? Such info may give us a better 
idea
of where this recording was made.



If anyone here can take a listen to the files I linked and provide 
further
insight, that would be greatly appreciated.



Thanks,



Eli Santin