Virginian in 1908 -- Track Laying

NW Mailing List nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Fri Oct 3 18:47:49 EDT 2008



Hello!

I am confused - or perhaps the original reporter in Bluefield was. I grew up in Dry Branch, which is between Belspring and Eggleston, and the "Virginian side" is on the opposite side of the river. That's how everyone identified which side of the river they were referring to back then. The "Virginian side" or "N&W side".

So - I wonder if there are addtional clues as to which side of the river this track laying took place on? I'm not familiar with the "Beaver Dam" bridge. Maybe someone else is?

Vince Albert.> > Message: 2> Date: Thu, 2 Oct 2008 22:00:18 -0400> From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>> Subject: Virginian in 1908 -- Track Laying> Bluefield Daily Telegraph> August 22, 1908> > MILE AND A HALF A DAY> ------> Track Laying on the Virginian Road Speediest Work Ever Known in Railroad Circles> ------> Roanoke Times:--Vice President and General Manager Raymond DuPuy and Chief Engineer H. Feinstom [sic., should be Fernstrom]of the Virginian Railroad returned to the city yesterday morning from the western end of the line and left yesterday afternoon for Norfolk.> These gentlemen have been on a tour of inspection of the road west. They witnessed the track laying and were pleased with the push and energy of those in charge of the work.> Every day the past week one mile and a half of track was laid, the speediest work ever known in railroad circles. The fast work was done between Belspring and Eggleston.> The Beaver Dam bridge has been completed and track laid one mile east of the bridge where another six hundred foot viaduct and bridge will be erected. This work is being done by the Virginia Bridge and Iron Company.> Sixty cars of the last shipment of 110 cars of steel rails have been received and were unloaded yesterday.> There are busy scenes around the Virginian yards on Jefferson street and a business-like air is in evidence on every hand.> ------> [Calling the laying of a mile and a half of track a day the speediest ever known ignores the slightly more than ten miles laid in one day by Central Pacific crews on April 28, 1869, two weeks before the CP met the UP on May 10, 1869.]> > Gordon Hamilton
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