Roanoke Material Yard

Fri Sep 11 16:23:14 EDT 2020

Earlier this week I saw a question posed about the materials yard in Roanoke.  I am interested in the question but have no information about the yard operations so I deleted the message.  I have not seen a response, and don’t know if the question was asked in the NW modelers forum or NW Mailing list.  

I would like to comment that Ken Miller has supplied me with several photos from the Materials Yard, in the 40’s or 50’s, with a particular emphasis on the N&W’s American Hoist & Derrick, American Eagle model cranes, the reason I sought the photos.  From what I have been able to find through the years, the N&W was a major (major being a relative term) buyer of this little MOW crane that had a production run from 1928-early 1950’s)  recognizing early on the efficiencies they offered.  Other roads using this model were the; Wabash, Rock Island, CGW, L&HR, CB&Q, and the Chesapeake Western.  If anyone else has American Eagle information or photos in the Roanoke yard or other system locations where the crane was used, I would welcome that information as well.  You can see an American Eagle in the distance in the East Radford tie treating plant on page 91 of William McClure’s N&W Facilities in Color, Volume 1, for example.
David Ray

> On Sep 11, 2020, at 5:45 AM, NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
> 
> Glenn, the Material Yard is one of the dirtiest and hardest jobs in the Engineering department. The main things that constantly circulate through the yard is spikes, rail anchors or clips and tie plates. New Ties, especially switch and bridge timbers are sorted for jobs here as well.  All used scrap metals from tie and rail jobs are shipped in by gondolas and there is a long conveyor belt where the scrap is sorted all day long by employees. All used plates, and anchors are Recycled and place back into service, spikes are graded, cleaned and put through a special machine that  straightens the spikes. Then they are returned to crews for siding and yard work.
> On of the important features there is the switch building division, as far as I know, all new switches on NS are built right there at RMY, when I was there, NS also had a contract to build some switches for Amtrak. You can find anything related to track, switch and bridge maintenance in all corners of the yard. 
> 
> The crew that switches the yard usually stays close to the area.
> 
> The employees there have their own set of rights and are unkickable when employees are furloughed from other parts of the gang.
> 
> The last time I was there, the yard crew had just picked up a freshly shopped unit, it was 4610. It had just came out of the shop in its new black “Thoroughbred” Scheme, I was surprised that it had lost its Southern Green.
> 
> Hope this helps.
> 
> Gary P. Price
> 
>> On Sep 10, 2020, at 1:33 AM, nw-mailing-list-request at nwhs.org wrote:
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>>  1. Roanoke Material Yard (NW Mailing List)
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>> Message: 1
>> Date: Wed, 9 Sep 2020 14:50:22 -0400 (EDT)
>> From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
>> To: "NW-Mailing-List at nwhs.org" <NW-Mailing-List at nwhs.org>
>> Subject: Roanoke Material Yard
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>> Just what is the purpose of the Material Yard?  Does it contain used material just replaced or new material ready to go out for replacing old?  Or both?   What material is included?  What does the switch crew assigned to the Material Yard do?  Does it ever leave the yard?  Do work trains pick up/discharge materials here?  The more details the better.
>> Glenn Fisher
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