Radford bridge
NW Mailing List
nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Tue Jun 3 22:11:10 EDT 2008
Charlie,
You are right, the flower shop is right on the old ROW where it meets
today's US Route 11. Always great to hear from you; let's get together.
Bud J.
----- Original Message -----
From: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2008 12:41 PM
Subject: Re: Radford bridge
> Thanks, Bud, for the additional info. I knew you would have it! Was I
> right, or close, concerning the flower shop?
> Charlie Long
>
> -----Original Message-----
>>From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
>>Sent: Jun 2, 2008 11:55 PM
>>To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
>>Subject: Re: Radford bridge
>>
>>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
>>>
>>> ________________________________________
>>> NW-Mailing-List at nwhs.org
>>> To change your subscription go to
>>> http://list.nwhs.org/mailman/options/nw-mailing-list
>>> Browse the NW-Mailing-List archives at
>>> http://list.nwhs.org/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/
>>>
>
>
>
> ________________________________________
> NW-Mailing-List at nwhs.org
> To change your subscription go to
> http://list.nwhs.org/mailman/options/nw-mailing-list
> Browse the NW-Mailing-List archives at
> http://list.nwhs.org/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/
>
More information about the NW-Mailing-List
mailing list