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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Tunga>Bluefield Daily Telegraph<BR>June 30,
1910</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT size=4>SPEND THOUSANDS ON OLD DINGESS
TUNNEL</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center>------</DIV>
<DIV align=center><STRONG>Norfolk and Western Will Preserve Twelve Pole Valley
Line to Carry Back Empties</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=left> The action of the Norfolk and Western in
spending an immense sum of money in putting an arch in the Dingess tunnel from
end to end dissipates the theory not long since expressed that the old Twelve
Pole Valley Line would be abandoned.</DIV>
<DIV align=left> For about a year contractors have been busy
on this work, and thousands of tons of brick and concrete have been consumed in
the work.</DIV>
<DIV align=left> With the exception of a moderate quantity of
local freight and passenger traffic, the old line is now used for the purpose of
carrying empties back to the coal fields after having taken their tonnage of
coal and coke to the markets in the northwest.</DIV>
<DIV align=left> Owing to the heavy grades and sharp curves
which abound on the Twelve Pole Line, all heavy freight trains and all through
passenger trains are run over the Big Sandy Line.</DIV>
<DIV align=left> There is still a good quantity of timber on
the head waters of Twelve Pole and plenty of good coal. It is believed,
however, if there were neither of these commodities in evidence the road would
be preserved for the double track purposes it will now will serve.</DIV>
<DIV align=center>------</DIV>
<DIV align=left>[<EM>The six-mile grade of one percent or more against loaded
coal trains on the original single-track Twelve Pole mainline extended
completely through the 3327-foot-long Dingess Tunnel. The single-track Big
Sandy Low Grade Line was opened in December 1904 and was 24.20 miles
shorter than the Twelve Pole line. The N&W completed double tracking
of the Big Sandy line in 1925 and then abandoned the 54.49 miles of the
Twelve Pole line between Lenore and Wayne on September 2, 1933. The
N&W's 1933 Annual Report states, "Removal of the rails, ties and other items
of value on this line was competed in November, 1933, and 53.78 miles of
abandoned right-of-way were conveyed to the State of West Virginia for highway
purposes." For those who may have missed the links where they
were first posted here, one can experience a motorcycle ride on the state
road over the old Twelve Pole line including Dingess and Breeden tunnels by
checking out the following:</EM></DIV>
<DIV align=left><EM></EM> </DIV>
<DIV align=left> <A
href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu7yGiS54D0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu7yGiS54D0</A></DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left> <A
href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONCos2I2wTY&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONCos2I2wTY&feature=related</A>]</DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=6 face=Script>Gordon
Hamilton</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>