[N&W] Re: Bristol VA

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

There was a boiler mounted on the east (north) end of the building, and I
believe this was used to provide steam for passenger cars laying over (cars
were added or taken off at Bristol quite a but from the through trains).  I
have photos somewhere of that boiler.  I'm guessing this was a 1940s bit of
construction, but that's just a gut guess.  For some reason, I believe the
boiler came from a scrapped G-class Consolidation (I'm at the office, with
no "research" in hand at this moment).

I don't think there were ever any diesel servicing facilities at Bristol.
There was no need for them.  Units worked in from Knoxville, then back on
the SR, and in and back from Roanoke on the N&W.  With the operating range
of the diesels, no need to top off fuel, sand, etc.  Steam, of course, was a
totally different matter, so that's why the roundhouse survived until the
end of steam in December '57.  Bristol wasn't the only N&W terminal to see
engine servicing facilities not make the transition from steam to diesel.
Norton was another one that never serviced diesels.

Ron Flanary