Fairlawn - Schooler Question

[NW Mailing List]

All,
Schooler Station Apartments are located on Schooler Hill Dr about
2000 feet north of the Bellspring Road and 114 intersection. This
is likely not a coincidence....

Virginia Summer Resorts By Norfolk and Western Railway Company
(you can find it in google books) has Schooler listed as being
1910 feet elevation above tide.  This elevation is closer to
the Bellspring Road and 114 intersection than to the top of
the hill.

I could only find a low resolution topo map of the area.  The
Schooler Station Apartments are near the 1900 foot topo line.
Toney Minter

NW Mailing List wrote:
>
>     Hon. Mr. R. Ervine, Burgermeister,
>
>     Greater Fairlawn-Belspring-Parrott Metropolitan-Metroplex,
>
>     ... and Other Likeminded Dignitaries :
>
>
>
>     Thank you for doing me the honor of a swift and informative response about
> Schooler !
>
>
>
>     When I was a young fellow working down that way, now going-on sixty years
> ago, I never had the luxury of scoping out the Schooler Hill Old Line, or
> anything else old and interesting, for that matter.  Three years ago I did
> get the chance to drive the Potts Valley from Paint Bank southward, and
> then down Wolf Creek on the New River Holston & Western RR to Bastian
> and Suiter, fulfilling a long-standing desire.
>
>
>
>     Several months ago someone forwarded me a photo of the Schooler Grand
> Union Terminal Station, marked for the Roanoke Public Library.  If I could
> remember who sent it, I would certainly credit him.  That photo is
> attached.
>
>
>
>     From the orientation of the station name sign, showing mileages to Norfolk
> and Columbus, it is apparent that the little building sat on the
> **railroad south** side of the track (which is the **compass west** side
> at that point.)
>
>
>
>     From the 1896 Statement of Block Signals in Use Upon the Road, we learn
> that the Operator had two semaphore arms in both directions, the bottom
> arm being the Permissive Block arm, and that the arms were pipe connected
> to the levers in the station (i.e. instead of being rope-pulled or
> wire-pulled.)  The 1896 Statement also notes that the Train Order Signal
> was given by displaying a Red Flag and Red Lantern.  Mr. Blackstock
> (Commandant of the Smith Mountain Fleet) has determined that the telegraph
> call was SC.
>
>
>
>     In the photo, I think you will be able to make out a slat-backed bench
> inside the open door, which means this building had a passenger waiting
> room, and so was a stop for passenger trains.
>
>
>
>     There are at least two tracks pictured in front of the building, and my
> guess is that they are the Main Track and a Passing Siding.
>
>
>
>     Using the elevation tool in Google Earth, I measured along the present
> Belspring Road, from Belspring to Fairlawn, and determined (much to my
> surprise) that the top of the grade, railroad-wise, is at Latitude
> 37.1698, Longitude -80.5996.  This point is about 1.9 miles west of the
> intersection of Belspring Road with Pepper's Ferry Road; approximately 860
> feet west of the intersection Belspring Road with  Meadowview Drive; and
> approximately 450 feet east of the center-line of the Midway Grocery &
> Services store.
>
>
>
>     Elevations along the highway now occupying the old railroad right-of-way
> are as follows (taken from the satelite imagery) :
>
>
>
>     1708 ft at Belspring
>
>     1954 ft at Top-of-the-Hill (for want of a better name
>
>     1896 ft at Fairlawn (Peppers Ferry Road)
>
>
>
>     Hopefully these few details might help us figure out where Schooler
> station was located.
>
>
>
>     If Mr. Ervine can find the Pot of Gold at the end of this rainbow, I shall
> come down and personally buy him a soda-pop the next time the Fairlawn
> Floozies play the Belspring Bullies !
>
>
>
>     And I will bet a dollar against a doughnut that, if we could find the
> railroad's real estate maps for the Old Line, we would find that the
> railroad purchased the right-of-way from a person named Schooler, leading
> to the station being so named.  Any takers on this high-roller bet... ?
>
>
>
>     -- abram burnett
>
>
>
>     >> Have You Considered Turnip Therapy...?
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