Arthur Tunnel and Old Line

NW Mailing List nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Wed Jan 8 08:12:30 EST 2014


Ben,

I don't have that answer. Probably was, but don't know. The old V&T R/W
was used when the Shawsville Tunnel was daylighted in 1990-91.

Bud

----- Original Message -----
From: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2014 8:45 PM
Subject: Re: Arthur Tunnel and Old Line



> 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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