N&W Telephone Boxes

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Dear Abeie:

There were four pole-mounted telephone boxes at the Bonsack
double crossover - one on each side of the tracks and at
both ends of the interlocking.

A picture of one of the boxes appears on p. 129 of "The Last
Steam Railroad in America."

In 1913, N&W had designs for an IRON telephone box for the
Telegraph Department, N&W drawing D-14075.

There was a variation of the steel telephone box on the
double track, ABS section of the railroad.  Where detours
were possible, N&W had wood telephone shanties -- no indoor
plumbing (no outdoor plumbing either), a slab of wood for
the block sheet and a telephone.  Air conditioning was supplied
by windows on each side.  As you probably know, only 
supervisors were allowed to work each end of a detour.  Apparently, the shelter was to allow supervisors a modicum
of comfort.  One of these was located at the east end of
traffic control Disputanta.

I'm not familiar with the incident.  It was not the derailment
at Gennetts, but Louis Newton cited an incident where east-
bounds were being detoured between East Portsmouth and South
Point on the Scioto Division.  After several weeks, the detour
was shortened and the train order No. 26 received at Portsmouth
so indicated.  The engineer, however, failed to note that the
detour had been moved farther west.  As the train approached
the crossover, the supervisor observed that the train was
moving at excessive speed.  He evacuated the detour station,
and moments later, it was demolished.
                             Harry Bundy