tracks

Bluefield Rail Yard

Bob Lawrence1 Comment


Nestled in the southwest corner of West Virginia is Bluefield, gateway to the Pocahontas coalfield. This yard was a huge part of Norfolk & Western’s activities in this area. It was, as of 2010, when this was taken, one of the busiest yards in the system. Coordinates are 37.2723, -81.2163. Bluefield’s commercial area is located just a step or two from this yard.

Up in West Virginia

Bob Lawrence1 Comment
Railroad trestle, double track, in West Virginia

This gives an idea of how massively these railroad companies built when they needed to. I took this under a double track trestle over the Bluestone River- and an out-of-service single rail line- in West Virginia at 37.32335, -81.32700. Just behind me is Pocahontas Avenue north of Pocahontas VA. The trestle above is about 665’ in length.

Lonesome Valley Road Trestle

Bob Lawrence2 Comments

Looking up at the northwest end of the trestle, which is about 708′ long and around 100′ high, over Lonesome Valley Road in Claiborne County TN.   Here’s the southeast end:

 

This is on the same Norfolk Southern line I discussed in the Oakman tunnels posting.  This trestle, old as it appears, was most certainly a replacement or reinforcement of an existing trestle.  The original concrete footers are still there.

Mudlick Junction

Bob Lawrence2 Comments

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Ladies and germs, welcome to Mudlick Junction, about halfway between Stonega and Andover, snuggled between Stonega Road and Roda Road.  The two lines on the left are, obviously, dead and I think originally went to the mines at Roda.  The line on the far right is live and runs up to strip mines north of Stonega.

According to Hanson’s placename book, “Roda” is short for “rhododendron” and you have the Post Office to thank for omitting the “h” that should have been in “Roda”.  Andover is named in honor of Andover College in New England, which was of some significance to the president of the Virginia Coal and Iron Company.  “Stonega”?  Hanson says it’s just “Stone  Gap” without the “p”.  Ahh, ha.

“Mudlick” isn’t a placename.  It might have been a small settlement once.  A “lick” refers to an outcropping of salt that attracted wild animals and, eventually, hunters.  Meat and salt, all in one.

Industrial Locomotive

Bob Lawrence4 Comments

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I took this in 2012 on Old Mill Road in Glade Spring VA.  This old gentleman, obviously owned by a Dale Earnhardt fan, this is, I think, a GM DH-1 industrial locomotive from the 50s.  The hopper behind it is an old Southern Railway 91848 model.  The track here is a spur to a line that used to extend from a wye in Glade Spring up to Saltville.
On the back of the locomotive is painted “The Intimidator”.

 

Dante Turntable

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I finally got back to Dante Yard to take a few pictures of the long-disused turntable.  I had to clamber (and believe me, I clambered) up a hillside on the far side of the turntable to try to get the whole thing in frame.  I didn’t quite, but I got most of it.
Using a turntable like this saved a lot of time when you needed to get a locomotive (all 100 tons or so of it) turned around.
And the motor that did all the work wasn’t that big:
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Look at how rusty the tracks are:
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I wonder if it was good to have the title of “the guy who runs the turntable”?

 

The Tunnel With No Name

Bob Lawrence4 Comments

 This is Rockhouse Creek tunnel (see below: locals called it “Love’s Branch tunnel”).  It’s rudimentarily faced off, both portals, and located near Democrat KY at 37 13′ 45″ N, 82 48′ 55″ W on County road 1048, just off Love’s Creek.  The tunnel is maybe 400′ long, with a curve to the east.  I don’t know what purpose was served by the two horn-like things on the north portal (see comment by Jon Hirsch).

South portal of the tunnel

North portal