Concord-Forest

[NW Mailing List]

OK, You guys can go back into hibernation now! My poor brain is overloaded! 
Here's BRC, NRHS member Lee Hawkins latest memory.

Norris Deyerle
National Director
Blue Ridge Chapter, NRHS

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The train that Gene called the “turn around train” was still alive in the 
60’s and beyond, it was called the “Phoebe Turn” (freight only). It would 
run from Roanoke to Lynchburg (ole main line) to Phoebe go around the 
Phoebe Y and return to Roanoke by way of Kinney yard (belt line) with no 
effort. I think this train picked up and set off transfers from other 
railroads like C&O (transferred cars downtown, ole main line) and Southern 
(transferred cars at Kinney, belt line) and back to Roanoke for the West.

My dad was the guru on transfers (freight car and train movements), since 
he would set up Southern transfers with other roads. He did this long 
before he moved to Kemper street station and passenger service(I was 16 
when he took the job at Kemper) . I would get the story almost every night 
up to then. “Dad where do the box cars go?”

FYI: Both Phoebe and Forest had  Y’s so trains could turn from one line(ole 
main line) to the other (belt line) or whichever all the time.


How do you like this?????