Boaz siding

[NW Mailing List]

Blue Ridge pusher crews were based in Roanoke and used Y-6 locomotives. 
They normally worked approximately 8-hour shifts, depending on timing of the 
trains to be pushed.  They normally received their instructions from the 
Norfolk Division dispatchers by phone from the pusher siding at Boaz and, 
when necessary, from other points along the line.  They normally pushed all 
coal trains, which generally consisted of about 100 cars weighing a total of 
about 8,200 tons, as well as most time freights, weighing about 6,500 tons.

Coal trains consumed about 40 minutes being pushed from Boaz, MP N-254, at 
an elevation of 933 feet, to the summit of Blue Ridge near the west end of 
Villamont middle track, MP N-254.5, at an elevation of 1, 296 feet.  Time 
freights consumed less time, usually about 30 minutes.  After the pusher cut 
off at the summit, a member of the crew would talk to the dispatcher by 
phone and receive further instructions.  Usually they would return to Boaz 
and wait for the next eastbound train, but occasionally they would be 
instructed to go to Montvale (MP N-241) and push a heavy tonnage westbound 
train.

Depending on the flow of traffic, they would push about 4 trains per tour of 
duty.

There were no 2-mile long trains on that section of the Norfolk Division at 
that time.  Most of them were about a mile long.  The crews knew from 
experience where to stop to pick up the pusher, and if they had tried to go 
much farther they would have stalled on the steepening grade without the 
pusher.

Some details about the operation on Blue Ridge in the mid-1950's, when "Jawn 
Henry" was being used in pusher service, can be found in my book RAILS 
REMEMBERED, Volume 4.

Louis Newton

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From: <nw-mailing-list-request at nwhs.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 09, 2012 11:52 AM
To: <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: NW-Mailing-List Digest, Vol 89, Issue 13


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> Today's Topics:

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>   1. Re: Boaz siding (NW Mailing List)

>   2. Follow Up (NW Mailing List)

>

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> ----------------------------------------------------------------------

>

> Message: 1

> Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2012 09:06:25 -0500 (EST)

> From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

> Subject: Re: Boaz siding

> To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org

> Message-ID: <8CFA29B2DB06B71-EF4-CDA at webmail-d064.sysops.aol.com>

> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>

> Hello listers.

>

>

> This discussion makes one wonder how the pusher service worked. Did the 

> pusher crew know what trains were coming or just push everything that 

> showed up? Did they use telephone? or radio? How does the road crew know 

> where to stop a 2 mile long train to clear the switch at the pusher 

> siding? How many trips up the hill could a Y6 make before refueling? How 

> long was the pusher crew's day? What did they do between trains? How much 

> further from Roanoke terminal was the East side pusher?

>

>

> My apologies for knowing so little about operations.

> Ted Goodman

> Columbus

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

> To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

> Sent: Thu, Dec 6, 2012 10:10 pm

> Subject: Re: Boaz siding

>

>

> On Wed, Dec 5, 2012 at 10:41 PM, Ron wrote:

>

> Bruce,

>

> The location you point out on the map was the location of the 

> Vintonstation. I believe the track you are pointing out is the station 

> track.

>

> The following link shows Boaz Pusher Siding was located at milepost 

> N254which still stands today near the end of the parking lot.

>

> http://www.nwhs.org/qna/photos/BoazSiding.jpg

>

> Looking at the site today, it is hard to imagine how a siding waslocated 

> there. The track is located up on a fill and it does not seemwide enough 

> to accommodate another track.

>

>

>

>

> Thanks for the link, it does verify things. I just can't fathom how a 

> siding fit at that location unless there has been some trackwork since 

> then or that bank was cut back in the intervening years. But it is the 

> little things like this that make all of this so interesting.

>

>

>

> Bruce in Blacksburg

>

>

>

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> ------------------------------

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> Message: 2

> Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2012 16:43:55 -0500

> From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

> Subject: Follow Up

> To: NW Mailing List <NW-Mailing-List at nwhs.org>

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>

> In a sad and respectful mood I follow up on the Glade Spring track

> configuration discussion. Crews have been at work replacing rails and

> switches  where damage from the accident and subsequent fire occurred on

> Wednesday afternoon. My thoughts of deepest sympathy go out to the family

> of the NS employee who died in the truck cab.

>

> Mike Pierry, Jr.

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