Arthur Tunnel and Old Line

[NW Mailing List]

Thanks for the information.  So, was the old alignment possibly used
as a detour around that tunnel while it was daylighted?   I guess that
is the main question I have.

Thanks,
Ben Blevins


On 1/7/14, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:

> Here is some of the history about the original trackage and improvements in

> question at Arthur.

>

> The old road bed around the ridge is the original V&T route.  Moving coal

> began in 1883 and it grew exponentially each year thereafter.  By 1887 the

> old line had reached its capacity and the N&W Railroad began to increase

> capacity by making major line changes to lessen curvature and to reduce

> grades.

>

> A major line relocation occurred from Vicker to Pelton (just west of

> Christiansburg).  The old line had a severe grade from Grab Creek up to the

> high grould to reach Christiansburg.  The new line had a more gradual grade

> of one percent from Vicker to the Alleghany Summit; this was completed by

> 1890.  Line relocations occurred on the east side of Christainsburg

> Mountain, too.  The map that Bruce gave shows the new line at Arthur was

> completed by the same time since it is dated 1890, and the new line

> eliminated curves and had a short tunnel on the new line.

>

> After the line relocations were underway, the railroad began double

> tracking.  In 1890 annual report, it listed 34.5 miles being prepared for

> double tracking to increase capacity. In 1891 the 34.5 miles was double

> tracked which included 12.66 miles from Radford to Christiansburg, and 21.84

> miles from Roanoke to Elliston.  This was the first double tracking on the

> N&W.

>

> In 1898 the line from Christiansburg to Elliston began being double tracked

> by the N&W Railway and was done in stages.  By 1901, the double track had

> been extended from Elliston to Shawsville Tunnel and from Christiansburg to

> Montgomery.   The 1901 annual report lists 4.76 miles of double track was

> added from Shawsville to Arthur and that the 150-foot tunnel at Arthur was

> converted to a deep cut double track.  The double track on the eastern slope

> of Christiansburg Mountain was completed in 1905 with the completion of the

> second bore of Montgomery Tunnel.

>

> Bud Jeffries

>   ----- Original Message -----

>   From: NW Mailing List

>   To: NW Mailing List

>   Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2014 3:30 PM

>   Subject: Arthur Tunnel and Old Line

>

>

>   On Thu, Jan 2, 2014 at 10:56 AM, Al wrote:

>

>     Bruce,

>

>     Can you send that topo directly?  I get a 403 error.

>

>

>

>   I dropped the maps I downloaded on my N&W site; see

> http://www.brucebharper.info/nwrwy/maps/maps.html for the PDF files from

> 1890, 1932, and 1937, along with the image I cut from the 1890 map that

> shows the three tunnels on the line.

>

>

>   It would appear that the original V&T line went around the spur of the

> ridge at Arthur, then the tunnel was bored through the ridge, then the

> tunnel daylighted when the line was expanded from two tracks to three

> starting there and continuing west.

>

>

>   Bruce in Blacksburg

>   

>

>

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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