Radford bridge

[NW Mailing List]

This reply probably addresses a couple of mailing list items.

In the early 1880s, a line began at the west side of the New River that would extend to open up the Pocahontas coalfields. The first load of coal was dispatched in March 1883 eastward to Norfolk. Trains leaving Radford for coalfields proceeded westward across the New River bridge on the Bristol line [at the present site], then would reverse direction to proceed to Bluefield. The shelf visible today near the west side of the bridge is where this line began. The eastbound trains from Bluefield had to reverse direction to continue east toward Radford and beyond. Obviously this was a very awkward and expensive way to send and receive trains over the New River line.

In 1888, a new curved bridge was completed, next to the Bristol line bridge. The curved bridge created a wye. Trains leaving Radford for the Pocahontas region could now proceed across the new bridge without having to reverse direction that was previously required. The line followed the current road now known as Hazel Hollow Road to the highway bridge then curved to the left following a side of the draw to a point that today is Route 600 or Belspring Road. As a boy I remember the old highway followed the old RR road bed until the new four-lane road was completed in 1949 when a new highway bridge was built connecting Radford and Fairlawn. The original road bed continued upgrade to about where the golf driving range is today and this "hill" was known as Schooler Hill. The line then descended down to Belspring in the vicinity of Back Creek where it progressed westward along the New River like today.

The hill was a real operational challenge since it rose 78 feet per mile eastbound and 86 feet per mile westbound and was about 11 miles in length. To reduce grade and reduce operating expenses, the new N&W Ry began building a new low-grade line from what is now known as Walton to Belspring. The new line reduced grades to 11 feet per mile eastbound and curves from 14 to six degrees, and was shorter by 4.3 miles. It went into service on October 11, 1900 and the Va. General Assembly authorized the N&W to abandoned the old line on February 15, 1901.

In the archives there is a folder of correspondence about the disposition of the old New River curved bridge. I do not have copies of this file but most of it was dated about 1904-5 and I believe in 1905 there is a document about a portion of the old bridge being used on the Galax line which Robb Fisher referenced below. I do not have any information about when the line was stopped being used but railroads, the N&W not being excepted, tend to get rid of something when approved for abandonment, especially something as costly as using the Schooler Hill line.

The N&W said that savings for using the new line was greater than the interest to pay for the new construction which included the 3500+ foot Pepper Tunnel and a bridge across the New River at the tunnel. The line was certainly out by 1907 and the Jamestown Exposition.

Bud Jeffries

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Monday, June 02, 2008 3:15 AM
Subject: RE: Radford bridge



> 

>> [Does anyone know when this wye track and the second bridge were fully

>> abandoned?

>> Was everything taken out of service with the completion of the Walton/Cowan

>> line? Or

>> was this piece kept in service for a while, which could explain how the

>> Exposition

>> specials served Radford -- run forward from Walton to Radford, cross the

>> river and

>> turn on the New River wye, then run forward back through Radford and on out

>> of town.]

>> Bruce in Blacksburg

> 

> 

> 

> Bridge 802 (IIRC) was completely abandoned before 1908... it was reused on the North Carolina branch (where it crossed over US 52).

> 

> Robb Fisher

> RFDI

> 

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