Tidewater in 1907 -- World Record?

[NW Mailing List]

Maybe the attached aerial view of Kellysville, WV will help.  I hope the labels are self explanatory.  One comment, the original arrangement should probably be called a "crossover" because it connected two parallel lines.  The present arrangement should probably be called a "connection" inasmuch as the former VGN for several miles east of Kellysville has been removed to make way for the four-lane US 460.

The original crossover also included a bridge, since removed, over old US 460.  The bridge over East River was still in place the last time I checked it, and it shows on the aerial view.

Gordon Hamilton
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: NW Mailing List 
  To: NW Mailing List 
  Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2008 6:03 AM
  Subject: Re: Tidewater in 1907 -- World Record?


        I need a map of this. Ron

        --- On Mon, 6/30/08, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:

          From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
          Subject: Re: Tidewater in 1907 -- World Record?
          To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
          Date: Monday, June 30, 2008, 12:11 PM


          Harry: You have the Kellysville connections backwards. The original connection allowed eastbounds to cross from N&W to Vgn. (I guess the westbound empties would have had to back to get from N&W to Vgn). The connection did not cross New River, but did allow N&W trains to cross it on the Vgn at Glen Lyn. Later, when the state of Virginia wanted the Vgn right of way through the narrows, The Kellysville connection was reversed, so that eastbound Vgn trains crossed over to N&W (and westbounds ran straight across too), and the new crossover east of Narrows got them back to the Vgn, crossing New River on a new bridge.  Jim Nichols

            Hind - sight is 20/20.  This wasn't my observation, 
            but rather one of the late R. D. Painter, N&W.  Following
            the merger with the VGN,  N&W  built  a connection with
             the VGN across the New River west of Glen Lyn.
            Eastward coal trains from Bluefield had to back thru
            the connection, crossing the New River to reach the
            VGN, then head east to Roanoke.  For empty trains to
             Elmore, they merely headed thru the connection. 
            Later this connection was changed so  that eastbound
            coal trains from Bluefield merely headed across the river.
            Having sold the former VGN right-of-way to improve the
            alignment of U.S. 460, N&W then built a connection 
            across the New River east of Narrows (and west of
            Celco).

            But suppose N&W had built the connection, not east of
            Narrows, but rather to cross the New River east of
            Belspring to hook up with the VGN near the horseshoe
            curve mentioned ?  Service to Celanese could be 
            maintained thru the connection at Klotz (?) provided the
            former VGN was kept it place Klotz-Celco.   The "pipe
            dream" connection was timetable west of the Whitethorne
            helper station and the climb to Merrimac Tunnel, so the
            pusher district would not have to be altered.  Probably
            N&W would have restored double track Belspring and
            beyond, which would improve traffic flow. The former
            VGN track Klotz to the horseshoe curve would be retired. 
                                                                      Harry Bundy 

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