Follow-up: CV catenary/Graham wye

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Grant Carpenter wrote:
> Another plan in Alex and Mason's book shows that the wye track had become
> an industrial track by 1912, so the wye track was then cleared of car spots
> and electrified before being taken up (?).

The wye apparently lasted intact for several years post-electification,
and appears to have remained electrified for a time even after the the
west leg switch was removed.

The NWHS Archives has multiple copies of N&W Mechanical drawing G16696
entitled "Trolley Sectionalization Plan Elkhorn Grade Exectrification",
with an original authored date of 12/31/1915. One was revised to 04/29/1919,
another was revised to 1/25/1923.  Both show the wye track in place as
electrified, with "Sectionalizing Wood Insulators, Yard Type" just off the
mainline on both the east (CV main) and west legs of the wye.
http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=88873

A relevant snapshot of the Graham wye area:
http://www.nwhs.org/mailinglist/2017/20171103.GrahamWye.TrolleySect.gif

Further evidence that the wye was electrified:
N&W engineering drawing 9200A (NWHS document HS-W10054), not yet scanned, and
unfortunately not dated, shows details of the catenary supports installed (or
at least proposed) between Bluefield and Bluestone Jct., which also shows the
CV main and wye.

Valuation map V-14-VA/10 (NWHS document HS-G00539), which covers the CV main
in Graham, and updated through at least 1942, shows the remainder of the wye
still in place.  The change history section of the page shows "Retire part of
Wye Track" under VPA 3228 in 1926.

So it would appear the entire wye was in place and electrified until 1926.

If the only reason for electrifying the wye and 4000' of the CV main was
to allow turning the electric locos, then one would have expected the N&W
to remove the electrification from the remains of the wye and the CV main
in 1926 as well.

The same valuation map also shows 1942 as the date of retirement of 400' of
electrification at MP 366.4770' under VPA 10689 (leaving 3600'?)


The 1926 date for the removal of the west wye switch is not long after the
date that the Graham Furnace was shut down for the final time. The wires
extended far enough west down the CV main to potentially allow electrics
to serve it.

Did the Graham Furnace have a coal-fired powerhouse? Could the the N&W have
used electrics and the wye to deliver coal to the Furnace?


Joe Shaw
Christiansburg, VA
http://www.krunk.org/