N&W vs. ACL

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Q:  "if Mr. Dunlap had known that Mr. Bradley was in the room,  do you 
think it would have made any difference ?"
 
A:  I certainly don't.
 
Sometime during the late 70's there was a hastily called meeting of
operating people at the Hotel Roanoke - no specific agenda.  During  the
meeting, one of the investigators from the NTSB gave some of that
department's findings regarding the tank car explosion at DeCrater.
He got about two sentences out before Mr. Dunlap told him his was
fulla crap.
 
In my ONLY conversation with RFD, I tried to discretely (emphasis on
discretely) explain to him that there was a difference between an  ENGINE
( A unit propelled by any form of energy, or a combination of units  operated
from a single control used in train or yard service) and a YARD  CREW.
What a mistake that was.  Thirty five years later, I'm still paying  for that
one.  When I retired, I was in the same category as a newly hired  chemist
at the lab.
 
"You hadda be there".  Well I wasn't on the Scioto Division, but I was  in
the Mechanical (Motive Power) Department and ever day I'd ask myself,
"Why AM I here?" Ed is right.  You hadda be there.
 
The Scioto Division WAS different.  Many of the operating officials  thought
that when a train passed Armour crossing at Williamson going west, it
left the N&W and entered . . . . .Mis'tuh Tay'buh's Kingdom.   Mr.Tabor was
Superintendent of the Scioto Division.  The Scioto Division did have  
different
operating practices.  A Pocahontas Division trainmaster once noted  that
when N&W ran passenger trains in sections,  the Scioto Division  train 
would show up at Williamson displaying signals for following  sections.  
Before departure from Williamson, the Pokey crews would take all the  signals
down and the train would run as a passenger extra.
 
That part of the Tadpole west of Tunnel 7 had been operated in  accordance
with Rule 251 -- i.e. trains moved with the current of traffic with  
reference to
other trains in the same direction by block signal indications.  It  wasn't
traffic control.  Movement against the current of traffic required  some type
of protection.  After installation of the Prichard weigh-in-motion  scale, 
moves
following a coal train crossing the scale were delayed.  The Scioto  Division
put forth a proposal to install traffic control on the eastward main  track
ONLY,  Neal to Tunnel 7.  The westward main track was to remain  ABS
only.  Mr. Fishwick held capital expenditure meetings every year in  
September.
He wanted cold, hard facts only -- no guesstimates, no if's, and's, or  
but's.  
Consequently, the divisions turned to Roanoke to have the  number-crunchers
come up with methods that left no room for doubt and that could show  a
reasonable return on investment.  Having worked through the numbers  for the
Scioto Division proposal, it became apparent that it indeed had great  
possibilities
and that for a few dollars more, BOTH tracks could be traffic controlled.  
After
all, the biggest pay out would be to purchase equipment to TC the  eastbound.
So Portsmouth was contacted to to approve the revised proposal.  Well  guess
what.
 
For me, the difference in the Scioto Division was the territory.  Once  you 
got
near Fort Gay, it was a whole 'nother world.  The speed limit went  up.  The
per capita income went up.  The scenery was a knock out.  Coal  mines gave
way to on-line industries like refineries, chemical plants, shoe factories,  
the
atomic plant, and a steel mill.  Old timers told of finding heaps of  Kodak
film cartons on Blue Ridge.   Towards the end of steam, many a  fan made
trips to Blue Ridge and Christiansburg,  but the Scioto got little  coverage.
I sure wish I coulda been there.  Leaving East Yard with  the setting sun
turning C&O's Limeville Bridge aglow is something to see.  
 
                                                     Harry Bundy
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/attachments/20060106/dce0abee/attachment.html