N&W in 1910--Roundhouse

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What's up with the $5 and $10 gold pieces under the "first brick" of the new roundhouse?
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Mike Weeks, LCSW, LCAS
M1, Brody School of Medicine 2013
MSW, UNC at Charlotte 2003
BS Acct, UNC at Charlotte 1989
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From: nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org [nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List [nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2010 9:58 PM
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Subject: N&W in 1910--Roundhouse

Bluefield Daily Telegraph
October 5, 1910

WORK COMMENCED ON NEW ROUND HOUSE
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Will Be Completed in Eighteen Months and Cost Almost $250,000

    Work has been started on the construction of the new round house, the first brick being laid by Foreman A. B. Gilardi, under which he placed five and ten dollar gold pieces.
    It will take eighteen months to complete the new structure, and when finished will cost about $250,000, according to Mr. Gilardi's statement.
    In addition to the round house an office building will be erected.  This will be a two-story brick, and will be used by the round house foreman and his clerks.
    The round house will be considerably larger than the present one.  The stalls will be ninety-three feet in length, giving ample room in which to house the Mallet engines.
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[The X1 was 89'0" over couplers, and the Y1 was 92'8" over couplers, making them a tight fit unless the 93' given in the article was the inspection pit length excluding the access steps.  The Y2a's that came eight years later were 106'11" over couplers, making for a tighter fit.  Archives collection Drawing A21090, dated 8/7/1920, is titled, "25 Ft. Extension to Roundhouse, Bluefield, W. Va." The Y6's, were 114'11" over couplers.  All figures are from Jeffries' book, "N&W: Giant of Steam."]

Gordon Hamilton