Griffin Iron Mines, 7 Miles South of Roanoke, 1899

[NW Mailing List]

John

I don’t think so, as you said this view is looking north. This goes off to the east, not the west, which is how the Castle Rock branch went.

I’ve got a small, very poor drawing from the railroad that I got 30 or so years ago, that I added current landmarks to a copy, now if I could find that….

Before they built the condos called McVitty Forest, right next to the old County library, in the snow, you could see the old right of way from 419, never took a photo…

I think most of the right of way to the former County Library was where 419 is located now.

If I find the drawing, I’l post it.

Best
Ken Miller

> On Dec 22, 2020, at 3:36 PM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
> 
> Is this the grade of the abandoned Castle Rock Branch?  Directly above the
> word 'Roanoke' in the photo link below appears to be the connection point
> with the Winston Salem line. The view is looking north. More grade can be
> seen in the right-hand portion of the photo.
> 
> http://www.virginiaroom.org/digital/files/original/10/1771/Underwood_41_Roan
> oke_from_South.jpg
> 
> John Garner
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NW Mailing List [mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org] 
> Sent: Monday, December 21, 2020 7:45 PM
> To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
> Subject: Re: Griffin Iron Mines, 7 Miles South of Roanoke, 1899
> 
> Probably the Castle Rock branch, which came off near where route 419 goes
> under the Winston Salem line to iron mine in the Castle Rock area of Roanoke
> County.
> 
> Best
> Ken Miller
> 
>> On Dec 21, 2020, at 6:47 PM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
> wrote:
>> 
>> Railroad Gazette, vol. 31, p. 650, Sept 15, 1899, carries this brief:
>> 
>> **A three mile branch is reported under construction from a point 
>> about seven miles south of Roanoke, Va, to the Griffin Iron Mines in 
>> Roanoke County.  W.G. Bear and W. R. Johnson are contractors.**
>> 
>> Seven crow-fly miles south of Roanoke (beginning at the depot) would place
> one a mile south of Starkey, probably in the vicinity of Back Creek.
>> 
>> Anyone know where the Griffin Iron Mines were located, and if the branch
> was even completed?
>> 
>> -- abram burnett,
>>        galvanic & electro-magnetic turnips, LLC 
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