HQ Tower

[NW Mailing List]

Paul,

Yes, this is the "early version." It was west of the stone twin-arch 
underpass for Beaverpond Creek and old SR 85 (now 102) to Falls Mills. 
This tower had levers/rods and a porch where clearance cards and orders 
could be handed directly to passing crews.

The "late version" I referenced was east of the underpass, had a TC 
board and orders had to be hooped up.

Grant Carpenter

On 8/25/2021 1:37 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:
>
> The HQ Tower in Bluefield (Graham) Virginia was a two-story wooden 
> structure. See the photo attached.
>
> Paul Mandelkern
>
> Winter Park, Florida
>

On 8/24/2021 8:15 AM, Grant Carpenter wrote:

Marty,

Crews referred to them variously as "operator," "tower" or by name. The 
three mainline Pocahontas towers you mention below, plus HQ tower (the 
late version), were of a similar frame design. Two exceptions were Devon 
(mentioned earlier, was in the depot) and Eckman, between Bluestone and 
Tug. The Eckman operator was in the yard office, a depot-like structure 
pictured in Alex's book, "The Norfolk And Western In West Virginia 
1881-1959" on page 261.

As mentioned, the operator count was a moving target and declined 
through the 1950s. A handy inflection point that includes those 
mentioned here was the start of centralizing TC in Bluefield. I believe 
Bluestone was the first to move and close, barely making it into 1950, 
then Eckman, then HQ.

Grant Carpenter
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