RD and other Pocahontas Towers

Wed Aug 25 14:37:29 EDT 2021

The HQ Tower in Bluefield (Graham) Virginia was a two-story wooden structure. See the photo attached.

Paul Mandelkern

Winter Park, Florida

From: NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org> On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2021 12:54 PM
To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: Re: RD and other Pocahontas Towers

Gordon, 

Thanks for sharing. 

Two difference from today immediately come to mind:

The N&W Winston- Salem line was then double track at this location.

There was a connector from the Winston Salem line southbound to the Virginian westbound. Does anyone know when this was eliminated

   Ray Smoot

Sent from my iPad

On Aug 25, 2021, at 11:27 AM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> > wrote:

A small version of the attached photo appeared with my letter in the "From the Railway Post Office" in the April - June 2019 issue of The Arrow.  I scanned this photo from the publication, "Comprehensive City Plan - Roanoke, Virginia 1928."  The view is looking west along the VGN.  The bridge just beyond the tower is the Walnut Avenue bridge.

Gordon Hamilton

On 8/24/2021 5:09 PM, NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List wrote:

Jimmy

At one time JK was a two story building.  Not many photos of that building.  Perhaps one or two in the archives.

Jim Blackstock

On 8/23/2021 9:19 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:

I was looking through an old timetable the other day and read where the the N&W referred to that little building between the VGN & N&W (JK) as "Walnut Tower".

Jimmy Lisle

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

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From: NW Mailing List  <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> 

Date: 8/23/21 9:12 PM (GMT-05:00) 

To: 'NW Mailing List'  <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> 

Subject: Re: RD and other Pocahontas Towers 

Thanks for the replies.  I would have responded sooner but haven't had much time to sit and spend on email lately. 

I guess from a modeling perspective, when I say tower, in this case I am looking for a structure that's primary or sole purpose was controlling train movements at a yard, junction, crossing, or other such location, to see what options I have for including such a structure on my layout, which I guess you could say is loosely based on or inspired by the Pocahontas Division.  I have seen pictures of SU/Bluestone, DY/Iaeger, Tug, KX/Kenova, Cowan, and RD, and was wondering if any other structures would have been standing and in use in the 1950s.  

That being said, it is also helpful to know what locations were controlled remotely or by a tower integrated with a station or other building, so that way I know I don't have to spend time trying to find pictures of a structure that never existed.

Marty Flick

-----------------------------------------

From: "NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List" 
To: "NW Mailing List"
Cc: "NW Mailing List"
Sent: Sunday August 15 2021 8:37:43AM
Subject: Re: RD and other Pocahontas Towers

Larry you hit the nail on the head.  The N&W called it a tower.  That gets to the point of how do you define a tower.  By the building or by the function. Or perhaps what the RR wanted to call it.  Jim B

On 8/14/2021 7:33 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:

Add Kermit it wasn’t  exactly a tower  one level

Larry Evans

From: NW-Mailing-List [mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
Sent: Saturday, August 14, 2021 12:21 PM
To: 'nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org' <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> >
Subject: RD and other Pocahontas Towers

Pages 240-241 of Alex Schust's "The Norfolk And Western In West Virginia 1881-1959" describe and show a picture of RD Tower, on the east end of Bluefield Yard.  What isn't clear to me is if it controlled only the east end of the yard or both ends?  If RD only controlled the east end of the yard, was there another tower that controlled the west end, perhaps Graham/RQ?

While we're on the subject, how many towers were there on the N&W main, particularly between Bluefield and Kenova?  I know there was SU tower at Bluestone Junction, TUG at Welch, DY at Iaeger, and KX at Kenova.  I believe the Devon depot contained the controls for the Buchanan Branch.  Are there any others?  I've tried browsing the online Archives, but haven't had much success, maybe using the wrong search terms.

Thank you

Marty Flick

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<WalnutAveTower002.jpg>

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