Roanoke Belt Line Right-of-Way Question

[NW Mailing List]

John, like I said, the exact storyline eludes me until I can dedicate some
real time doing courthouse research on all of those dates. One of the more
interesting finds at GOB-E this past year was the book of Section Maps of
the Norfolk and Western Railroad Co. -- Winston-Salem Division. The cover
also said "Roanoke & Southern Raiway."I don't have a date on this (will do
so this weekend), but we know 1911 is when the N&W took over the Roanoke &
Southern. I'm attaching here a page showing current-day Virginia Western
Community College, where the Narrow Gauge RR crosses the Roanoke and
Southern.

I have to reexamine the map to make sure of my dates, but this suggests the
narrow gauge was still in use up until a branch line was established for
the Rorer Mine. Of note, it describes the narrow gauge as being deeded by
the successor to Rorer Iron, Consolidated Mining Co. I'm thinking they were
already in negotiation to get the narrow gauge land, but hadn't finalized
the details.

Stephen Warren

[image: Rorer Narrow Gauge RR Crossing at Alms House 1891.jpg]


On Thu, Oct 24, 2019 at 10:40 AM NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
wrote:

> Stephen, Do you have the date that Rorer (thx for sp correction) abandoned
> their R/W from today’s Tanglewood to west Roanoke?   John Garner
>
>
>
> *From:* NW Mailing List [mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]
> *Sent:* Wednesday, October 23, 2019 5:10 PM
> *To:* NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
> *Subject:* Re: Roanoke Belt Line Right-of-Way Question
>
>
>
> John, you are correct. The Rorer line (and it’s Rorer, not Rohrer) cut
> across present day Brandon Avenue below Towers mall, approximately behind
> Wheelers Laundry. It ran towards Wasena along the river and crossed just to
> the right of today’s Wasena Bridge.
>
>
>
> The land transfers are a last bit of research I have yet to do. Abram is
> raises a good point, in that the Rorer land would have been mostly
> abandoned after the successor iron company moved its ore washing operations
> closer to the mine, and built a transfer platform directly at the Winston
> Salem track near present-day Tanglewood Mall. However, I still haven’t done
> the vital courthouse research on all the land transfers to see what that
> story looks like.
>
>
>
>
>
> I’m also not at my files, so I can’t recall when the beltline was
> constructed, but I seem to recall it was before the narrow gauge track was
> abandoned. There was a necessary diamond which we still haven’t found a
> drawing for, and it would be located along the River between Brandon Avenue
> and the ice house which is now condominiums.
>
>
>
> Stephen Warren
>
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 3:15 PM NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
> wrote:
>
> Mr. Stephen Warren may be the authority on this matter but . . .
>
>
>
> The Rohrer Iron Co right-of-way is simultaneous with the Roanoke Belt Line
> only form a point approximately where Murray Run joins the Roanoke River
> (street-wise see Brandon Ave. and 23rd St SW) to Wasena. That cuts your
> distance in question to about half.
>
>
>
> John Garner
>
>
>
> *From:* NW Mailing List [mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]
> *Sent:* Wednesday, October 23, 2019 12:37 PM
> *To:* N&W Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
> *Subject:* Roanoke Belt Line Right-of-Way Question
>
>
>
> A thought just occurred to me...
>
>
>
> Might the N&W, in constructing its Roanoke Belt Line, have acquired by
> purchase, from the surviving interests of the Rorer Iron Company, the Rorer
> right-of-way between Franklin Road and Wasena, in Roanoke?
>
>
>
> That is a distance of approximately 4600 feet, depending on where one
> fixes the end points.
>
>
>
> Given the topography, there is not much question that the Roanoke Belt
> Line is situated virtually smack-dab on top of the old Rorer right-of-way
> between these points.  The question is, how and from whom did the N&W
> acquire the land?
>
>
>
> It would be interesting to see the dates of purchase for the various real
> estate parcels on the Roanoke Belt Line, and to see if they were acquired
> by purchase in fee, or by condemnation.  Given that the N&W owned and
> controlled everything in Roanoke, my guess is that the parcels were
> acquired by purchase without litigation.
>
>
>
> -- abram burnett
>
> Turnips "Of Interest" to the Intelligence Community
>
>
> ===========================================
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> Successor to the MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH LINE of 1844
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