N&W in 1911--Pumping station

[NW Mailing List]

Bruce,

I believe the photo "3588 - N - 3660 - Graham Station." is doubtless the view westward at the old wooden combination freight and passenger station at the head of Spruce Street ("Depot Street on modern track charts).  Sanborn maps show the freight portion to be east of the passenger portion as in the photo..  Depot Street is exactly at Mile Post 366.0 as apparently referred to in the photo i.d., and a track chart shows a 2 degree 16 min. right-hand curve at that point just as in the photo.  "Graham" on the sign would indicate a time period prior to the name change to Bluefield, VA, in 1924 and the construction of the new brick station that same year.

I believe that the photo of the brick station agrees in all details with the proposed station shown on the plan drawing that I submitted previously.  I believe the view is looking westward along the Clinch Valley line.  The photo shows the back side of a semaphore signal that could be the home signal for an eastbound train approaching the junction (the lower arm appears to be obscured by the platform canopy).  Also, an N&W electrification diagram shows that only electrified track on the Clinch Valley was 4,000 feet of the main track as shown in the photo (electrification ended at the west end of Furnace siding).  The track leading off to the right at the bottom of the photo shows up in the plan as a stub track that curves to the north.  Also, the freight cars in the distance in the photo appear to be on the west leg of the wye shown on the plan.

Additionally, the plan includes a representation of  both platform canopies that appear in the photo, even including the four posts under the canopy in the foreground of the photo.  The second canopy can be seen in the distance as shown on the plan.  The platform truck crossing appears to be where the crew of men is working--just where it shows on the plan.  Also, at the left edge of the photo is what appears to be the corner of a handrailing, and that is just where the steps down to the pedestrian underpass shows on the plan.  Even the extent of the concreted area on the near side of the station agrees with the plan.

I don't intend this to end the discussion, but I would like to see any other evidence indicating whether the brick station was located south of the Clinch Valley track or otherwise.

Gordon Hamilton

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  From: NW Mailing List 
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  Sent: Monday, February 14, 2011 11:16 AM
  Subject: Re: N&W in 1911--Pumping station


  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 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 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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