Author: Bob Lawrence

Conrail

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conrail

From 1986, this 2″ pinback recognizes a campaign to keep Conrail alive, after a takeover attempt by Norfolk-Western.  In 1987, Conrail was released by the government to become a private enterprise.  As of the late 1990’s, both CSX and Norfolk-Southern share ownership of Conrail.

Copper Creek Viaduct

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copperback

The lower bridge was built in the late 1890s by the Virginia & Southwest Virginia rail road (V&SW).  That line was absorbed into the Southern Rail Road in 1916, just a year after this card was mailed.

The upper one, the Copper Creek Viaduct (a word the Marx Brothers had fun with in The Cocoanuts) was built by the C.C. & O in 1908.  The stated height now is 185′ , measuring from the river below.

You barely read the writing down the length of the viaduct, but I believe it says “crossed this just today” or something to that effect.

The post card itself appears to have been printed in Germany before WWI.

“The Clinchfield Route”

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nolichback

This is looking south at approx. 36.0720, -82.3987.

The card was printed by Curt Teich in Chicago.  It’s one of the “C” series of post cards issued between 1905 and 1926.  The Curt Teich records for this period are scanty and this number isn’t listed anywhere that I can find.  Nicely printed, though, and hand colored at the factory before the separations were shot for the print run.

ET&WNC in the Gorge

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Following the track of the old ET & WNC Rail Road through Doe River Gorge is a fine hike, except in winter.  If there’s been some snow or freezing rain, getting across the derelict bridges can be dangerous.

This card was published by the American News Company of New York, but it was printed in Germany before the start of WWI.

I can’t read the place name on the postmark, and I’ve tried.  All I can see if the final “…ONE”.

I hope Dolly got home okay, though.

Ballast Regulator, Old

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This old ballast regulator, devoid of any nameplates or other information (except that its motor was made by Detroit Diesel), sits just east of the former Greenbrier (sic) Dock near Vansant in Buchanan County VA. The Greenbrier facility closed in 2006. I have been unsuccessful in finding out when it was constructed. In early 2000’s, Greenbrier Dock was loading coal from the Lovers Gap mine, just a few miles away.

Two Cabooses

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When I took these pictures in Appalachia VA, the cabooses were just 2,200 feet from each other, but, boy, are they different.  Cast your baby blues on these:

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The top one, nattily repainted, is on display in a small park.  It was built, according to the ID plate, in 1948.  It’s at 36.8998N, 82.78841W

The lower one, rough and ready, was still in the yard.  It’s a 1976 unit.

There’s a definitive book on N&W cabooses for sale from the NW Historical Society, but it’s $50.

French Broad River

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frenchbroadriver

Well, guess what we found in Corbin KY.  The Southern CNO&TP sleeper, French Broad River.

It’s had a rough life since 1950 or so, but it’s now safely, more or less, sitting on a cut section of track to the right of the old depot on, of course, Depot Street.  Here’s a look at the end of the car as shown above.

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Locomotives and Trains

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Not a particularly rare poster (it folds out to a one-sided 22″ x 32″ size) and one that has been slightly damaged on one panel (I’m rather good at finding stuff that is “slightly damaged”) by being in contact with some sort of acidic paper.  It features 29 black-and-white photos of Southern history from 1830 (even one of a geezery-looking Nicholas W. Darrell) through the mid 50s.  Notice there’s no ZIP Code shown.

So, find yourself one of these and “paste these pictures in your railroad scrapbook”.

Railway Post Office

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railpo

Even mended with tape (not my doing), this is a fine picture, taken by the American Car and Foundry Company in 1923.  Brand new car for Southern Railway.

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I would guess that this is the crew that guarded and processed the mail on the car, getting ready to load up.  That’s a lot of security!

Railway post offices were mostly gone by 1962 and completely gone by 1977.

Southern Medallion

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plaque

I found this sign at a flea market mall.  It’s 8.75″ in diameter, baked enamel finish and 10.75 ounces in weight. It has been dinged a bit and I’m not under any illusion that it’s an antique. I believe the company that produced these signs is no longer making them.  “Too expensive”, I read.

I’m not having any luck finding a similar sign yet.  I may have to (alert! 1960s TV series reference) “Wire Paladin, San Francisco”.

N&S Locomotives, Kingsport TN

Bob Lawrence3 Comments

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For as long as I can remember, there have been one or two N&W locomotives and a caboose on a short siding beside Lincoln Street, near the intersection with John B. Dennis in Kingsport.  These two are 2559 (EMD GP30) and 7026 (EMD GP50), with the caboose NS 555006.  One engine was idling at the time I took this picture.  Since this is basically CSX territory, I’ve wondered why these units are here.  Still wondering.

Later:  Not anymore!  Many thanks to Ralph Clark, a former engineer, who clued me in to these locomotives.  He recalled that, at some point in the past, Eastman wanted to uncouple from just having one railway servicing their vast facility, so they set up an arrangement with N&S to make a nightly run to Frisco to pick a shipment of coal and bring it back.  Pictured above, for all intents and purposes, is N&S’s foot on the ground in CSX territory.

Lynch KY

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This repainted locomotive/caboose set is parked in front of Mine #20 in Lynch KY.  It was a U.S. Steel unit in use when Lynch was a happenin’ place in the 1940s & 50s: coal, railroad, maybe 10,000 souls in town.

If you’re into taking pix of abandoned industrial towns, this place is target rich.  Take care, though, many of the buildings are crumbling.

Building Bridges from our Past to our Future

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Calvin Sneed’s first book, with some of the 11,800+ bridge pictures he’s posted to bridgehunter.com, is now available (College Press ISBN: 978-1-5323-4369-8).

Tim Cable and I interviewed Calvin on Thinking Out Loud morning show on AM910 WJCW radio.  Truss bridges, mostly, are a passion for Calvin.  And he knows his stuff.

Williamson WV Rail Yard

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While Norfolk Western laid down a line through Williamson in 1892 or so, they didn’t build the big consolidation and repair yard until 1901.  It has a roundhouse, but I wasn’t able to get a decent picture of it.  It shows up quite well on Google Earth, though.

You can also see from the satellite image the fairly wide suspension pedestrian walkway that spans the yard.  It is gated, but I was able to climb the rickety stairs that access the northern bridge support tower.   This is looking southeast:
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This is looking across the yard showing the pedestrian bridge (there’s a date on the building in the center, 1926):
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And this is looking northwest or so:
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This is the best view I could get of the roundhouse, taken from a 1913 truss bridge over the Tug Fork on the southern side of the yard:
roundhouse

Jordan Spreader

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jordanspreader  This much-used Jordan Spreader, SBD 774760, was sitting in the eastern part of Kingsport yard back in 2012.  I thought it might have been used to clear tunnels of ice.  That was fanciful.  When I looked it up, I found that the unit is used to dig and clear ditches, regulate ballast and even to plow snow.  Sturdy and reliable, and, of course, it’s been replaced by more modern things…so it goes.

Northern Ohio & Western #4497

Bob Lawrence7 Comments

It looks like this unit has been here (37.20723, -81.562866 near Bishop VA)  for several years.  It wasn’t here in 2012, but was in 2015 (the available Google Earth images).  The locomotive is unlocked but hasn’t been terribly vandalized.
Here’s the glamour shot: