Depot pic

[NW Mailing List]

 Whatever was on the second floor of the Bristol station was compromised during the few years in the 1980's when the station became the center of a sort of shopping mall. Thankfully, the mall finally failed and all the additions it invoved were removed, leaving the station to look like it used to. Being in Kingsport at the time, I actually got into one of the restaurants of that mall when our barbershop quartet was the entertainment for ladies night of the local NMRA chapter. Quartet's name was "The Upper Berth" and we sang some railroad songs.
Jim Nichols
    On Monday, March 28, 2022, 06:01:44 PM CDT, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:  
 
    Mr. Aytsch, Good Sir, Your Eminence:   
   I don't think there was a crossover east of State Street, nor even room for one.  Which seems to insinuate that engines had to move west of State Street to cross over and move back east to the Round House.    
   But who handled any crossovers or switches west of State Street?  I know the old N&W (1930s) TT's mention switchtenders handling main track switches at Bristol, but certainly that would have referenced N&W switchtenders on N&W property, not anything west of State Street.  So, did the Southern have a  switchtender west of State Street?   Or the the crews handle their own switches there?  And after the concept of interlocked switches and signals came around, who handled any crossovers west of State Street?  It could have been the Opr at BD Telegraph Office, since Bristol was operated as a joint facility and the N&W Oprs at BD had to be qualified on Southern Operating Rules, too.  I was a green-horn when I railroaded into Bristol, and not tuned-up to assessing such situations... my focus was necessarily upon knuckles, air hoses, hand brakes and waiving to the young girls along the track.    
   And I am also curious about the N&W switchtenders.  From whom did they take orders?  My guess is that the Yard Master at Bristol gave the switchetneder his instructions.  That’s what Yard Masters are for:  coordinating multiple moves in non-main track territory.  And where was the Yard Master headquartered?  My guess is that he was pretty close to the depot and the Telegraph Office, which were the seat of operations for Bristol.   
   And while we are on this subject, just what was on the second floor of that massive station at Bristol?  Records storage, for sure, as the railroads saved everything for decades.  And probably offices for the Train Master, the Road Master, perhaps the Signal Supervisor after automatic signals came around, and who knows what else.   
   Ya think we could send Mr. Blackstock down to find answers…?   
   In closing, I should mention that there was a wreck east of Bristol Station sometime around 1920, due to the switchtender, or some unknown party, opening a main track switch in the face of a westbound First Class train.  It was a classic case of nobody knowing, or having done, anything, and everyone pointing his finger at his fellow workman.   There was an ICC report on the wreck, but it seems I no longer have it.   
   -- abram burnett   Non-Fungible Crypto Turnips       ________________________________________
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