N&W in 1911--Pumping station

[NW Mailing List]

Wow.  The documentation, so far, says that in spite of my extremely  strong 
memory to the contrary the station was south of the Clinch Valley  track.  
How I'm remembering it wrong is beyond me; at least Jim remembers  it like I 
do, so I'm in good company!
 
I will keep looking for the photo I remember that would show it where I  
remember it.  I don't think it's the ns229 photograph.  I can't image  moving 
a brick station, which might conceivably have happened if Virginia Avenue  
was widened.  
 
Many thanks to everyone who's taken time to research this.  If I do  find 
the photo I remember I'll scan it and contribute; otherwise "case closed"  
and lots of head scratching!
 
Dave Phelps
 
 
In a message dated 2/14/2011 12:44:09 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org writes:

On Sun,  Feb 13, 2011 at 10:43 PM, Dave wrote:


Gordon:
 
I lived in Bluefield VA 1947-1953, and the station was not in the  location 
shown on the drawing you attached.  It was definitely between  the main 
line and the Clinch Valley line.  It could not have been where  the drawing 
shows because by then Virginia Avenue was in place approximately  where the 
dashed lines are in the drawing.  The picture I remember also  shows the 
little-known electrification of the Clinch Valley line as far as  Tip Top.
 
I'll keep digging.  Maybe the N&WHS archives or the Virginia  Tech 
collection will show something.




There are several images in the VT collection, which have the usual scant  
details about the images.


One is _http://spec.lib.vt.edu/imagebase/norfolksouthern/full/ns227.jpeg_ 
(http://spec.lib.vt.edu/imagebase/norfolksouthern/full/ns227.jpeg)   and I 
found it by just searching on "Graham" in the imagebase. It has a  handwritten 
note on the edge stating "Bluefield, Va." and is labeled on the  image as 
"3588 - N - 3660 - Graham Station." It isn't the sharpest image, but  I could 
enlarge it enough to see that the signboard does read "Graham" on the  
platform. The station building is in the distance, but appears to be  wood.


Another is _http://spec.lib
.vt.edu/imagebase/norfolksouthern/full/ns229.jpeg_ (http://spec.lib.vt.edu/imagebase/norfolksouthern/full/ns229.jpeg)   
found by searching on "Bluefield" in the imagebase. It too is noted as  
"Bluefield, Va." on the edge, but is just labeled as "698." This station is  brick, 
fills the picture, and has "Bluefield, Va" on the station sign.


The Virginia Tech Library also has access to the digital Sanborn maps for  
Virginia, so I was able to check out the 1930 and 1938 editions for 
Bluefield  (the only ones they have available). Both show the station on the south 
side  of the tracks, next to Virginia Avenue, with a "N&W Ry. Rep. Shop" 
inside  the wye, along with a small storage building. The 1938 map also shows 
Virginia  Ave. jogging under two steel bridges at the Virginia Hotel to go 
under the  Clinch Valley line and the third leg single track of the wye, then 
jogging  again to go between the bulk plants of the Gulf Oil Corp'n. on the 
right (as  one heads west) and the Pure Oil Co. on the left before eventually 
crossing  the Bluestone River. On the 1930 map, these two businesses didn't 
exist, but  the Thompson Coal Co. was just west of the location of the Pure 
Oil location  along the Clinch Valley line (both had a siding into their 
operations).


Bruce in Blacksburg




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