JK Tower

[NW Mailing List]

Ken,
 
You are correct that one end of the tower at JK is taller that the other, however, it was not two story. The original Tower was two story, but the one in the photo replaced the original in 1946.
 
When you entered the tower (there was a door on each side, east & west), there were lockers for the operators, and some relay equipment. To enter the operator's office, you had to climb about four or five steps (think split-level), and pass through a door (to secure the operators, I assume, from people walking in on them). I'm just guessing, but it may have been to raise the office floor above flood waters from the nearby Roanoke River.The desk faced north, against a solid wall, but the operator could turn his head to the right to see the diamond, and tracks to the east, then turn to the left to see westward toward the passenger station and the east end of the yard.
 
There was, and still is, the "communications tower" raising up above the highway bridge. My guess is that it may have been a relay tower for raido communications.
 
Hope this helps,
 
Jeff Sanders
 

--- On Sat, 9/25/10, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:


From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: JK Tower
To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Date: Saturday, September 25, 2010, 7:49 PM





Before  the month of September comes to a close Thursday, I have a Question referencing the picture on the N&W/VGN Classic Calendar for September "J's at JK' Looking at JK from the J's angle ,It looks as if JK has two stories and there seems to be some sort of a tower going from the side of the Building to the Walnut Street Bridge above.. What was that ?(can't be a Cell tower) I lived in Roanoke at the time (I was 12) but I was much more Interested in the Virginian Station than JK ...Just wonderin' Ken Tanner 
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