Where? -- BALL's HOLE

Mon Nov 21 12:46:46 EST 2016

Abram,

In order to familiarize myself with the location of Ball's Hole, I consulted a Nov. 1, 1950, and a Jan. 1, 1987, Radford  Division Track chart.

I believe the Roanoke River bridge that you depict is Br. 176 at approximate Mile Post N-275.7.  By contrast the 1950 chart shows a hand-written note, "Ball's Hole" at approximate Mile Post N-274.3, which is indeed the bottom of a dip.  Eastbound the grades in the dip from the track charts (a + grade would be downgrade eastbound and a - grade would be an upgrade eastbound) would be as follows on the two track charts starting with 0.0 at approximate Mile Post N-275.5 and continuing to 0.0 at approximate Mile Post N-273.2 (essentially Singer) making the length of the dip approximately 2.3 miles long:

1950 chart grades: 0.0, +0.78, +1.2, +1.5, +1.20, +0.70, 0.0, -0.292, -0.50, -0.699, 0.0

1987 chart grades: 0.0, +0.78, +1.2, +1.2,           +0.70, 0.0, -0.292, -0.50, -0.699, 0.0

Additionally, elevations are shown in feet on the 1950 chart at start of the dip, the bottom of the dip, and the end of the dip as, respectively, 1233, 1174 and 1208.

Although the two charts vary somewhat in the length of certain grades, the dip is clearly visible in both charts, and the charts do not reveal any significant change in the grades during the period covered by the two charts, although I don't doubt reports that there were some changes to easy the dip.

Gordon Hamilton
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: NW Mailing List 
  To: NW Mailing List 
  Sent: Monday, November 21, 2016 6:50 AM
  Subject: Re: Where? -- BALL's HOLE

  The bottom of Ball's Hole was at the railroad bridge crossing Roanoke River, between Singer and Elliston. I have given away my N&W Bridge Book, so can't give you the bridge number. Center of the bridge is at approximate coordinates Lat 37.2269, Lon -80.2085.

  This railroad bridge is located about 500 feet east of the junction of Enterprise Road (Elliston Vol. Fire Co.) with Lee Highway (Rte. 460) and about 190 feet south of the highway's eastbound bridge over the river. A JPG file showing a Google Street View is attached, and the view loooks southward from the highway bridge..

  It is this bridge which I believe was raised about twenty feet when Ball's Hole was filled and raised, around 1957.

  -- abram burnett

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