Interlocking tower locations

[NW Mailing List]

On Sat, Jun 23, 2012 at 1:53 PM, Ron wrote:


>  Can anyone tell me where 'FOREST' and 'JACK' Interlocking towers were

> located (division / milepost)?

>


The tower at Forest is/was on the old Norfolk Division, now the Virginia
Division, on the Blue Ridge District at milepost N 214.5/PH 22.4 (the
western end of the Lynchburg Belt Line). According to the track chart for
the interlocking there in Special Collections at Virginia Tech (see
http://spec.lib.vt.edu/imagebase/norfolksouthern/F1/NS4640.JPG) the tower
was across the tracks and just east of the station. I've poked around in
the weeds there and there are scant traces of some foundations and other
items that indicate the location. If one drives to the end of Switch Street
then strolls a little further up the Halsey Spur (the former main line) and
looks carefully, you can see where the wye track was located in the woods
behind the subdivision on Woodbridge Ct. (see the Google map at
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.360897,-79.272301&z=17). It is better to
go in the winter when the leaves are down, but if you know what you are
looking for you can see the grade curving around toward the other tracks.

If you head to the other end of the Belt Line, it is easier to find the
wye, since it is in a cut and Va. 609 goes over top of it, with the old
main line easy to see off to your right (as you head west). See the Google
map at https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.345213,-78.958944&z=17 -- the wye
is just east of the two houses and above the auto junkyard. I'm not sure
why there is a road shown on the old right-of-way unless it is a driveway;
I don't remember that there was any road there the last time I was through
there.

Jack is the west end of the Petersburg Belt Line, also on the old Norfolk
Division, now the Virginia Division, on the Norfolk District at MP N 88.3/P
8.4.

Bruce in Blacksburg
Webmaster, Frograil Tours, www.frograil.com
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