| Three for the Ages / Jim Boyd: a Master of Angles - Kevin EuDaly |
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An across- the-field shot becomes something much better with the inclusion of a small shed near Bluefield, Virginia, in October 1982. SD45 1754 leads a C30-7 and an SD40-2 in this fall-color view. Soft backlighting, correct exposure, and the right film make this work. Jim’s photogra- phy often evokes an “I wish I was there” response — this photo certainly does that. (Jim Boyd) |
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An otherwise ordinary going-away shot becomes something extraordinary with this view of more of the scene. We’re deep in Appalachia at Webb, West Virginia, on the N&W main line, and a trackside family is working in their well-tended garden in May 1975, while GP9 813 and GP40 1378 roll by. (Jim Boyd) |
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A child’s eyes view the world outside his window somewhere on the Abingdon Branch in April 1974. Reflected in the window is GP9 806 or 877, which are assigned to the local on the branch this particular day. The boy is focused on the photographer, but with a glance to the right he’ll be seeing the local in his backyard. Most of us would be looking trackside, but Jim was looking well beyond the right-of- way. “Wow, nice shot, Jim!”
(Jim Boyd) |
| Rails Remembered - Chapter 86 / The Midnight Report and a trip to Chicago - Louis M. Newton |
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On August 26, 1956, Y-6b 2172 rests on a track in front of the N&W YMCA, a Bluefield landmark located on the north side of the yard just east of the Mercer Street Bridge. (Louis M. Newton) |
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Data Sheet |
The Poca- hontas Division Midnight Report was sent by wire at 5:00 the following morning to various officials in Roanoke, including the president, and distributed to local officials. The copy of the report for August 22, 1956, a fairly normal day for operations, is shown here. (Louis M. Newton collection) |
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PRR Baldwin DR-6-4-2000 “shark” 5779 is on Train 303 at Seymour, Indiana, on July 3, 1957. (James F. EuDaly photo) |
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Letter |
Although The Powhatan Ar- row breakfast menu from the mid-1950s featured a variety of selections at what would now be considered bargain prices, they were thought by some thrifty travelers of that era to have been extravagant. The author’s favorite was the Virginia Smith- field ham breakfast.
(Louis M. Newton collection) |
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Letter |
Although The Powhatan Ar- row breakfast menu from the mid-1950s featured a variety of selections at what would now be considered bargain prices, they were thought by some thrifty travelers of that era to have been extravagant. The author’s favorite was the Virginia Smith- field ham breakfast.
(Louis M. Newton collection) |
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Letter |
The back of the dining car menu promoted the “Rail Travel Card,” a plan introduced in the post-World War II era for the convenience of rail travelers. They were honored by the N&W and other participating railroads for rail and Pullman tickets as well as for meals and refresh- ments in dining cars. (Louis M. Newton collection) |
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In their latter years of operation the Clinch Valley passenger trains became a favorite for railroad photographers. This view shows Class E-2a 578 with a five- car consist of No. 5 leaving Bluefield on August 26, 1956, while Y-6b 2183 on an adjacent track is headed toward the engine terminal. (Louis M. Newton photo) |
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The Bluefield 250-ton derrick (right) is shown here on October 11, 1956, helping an American Bridge Company self- propelled crane (left) to alter Bridge 1383-A over the Clinch River on Dumps Creek Branch. The work involved “spreading” the bridge so that it could accommodate a wye, with its inside switch being on the bridge. (Louis M. Newton photo) |
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The Bluefield 250-ton derrick (right) is shown here on October 11, 1956, helping an American Bridge Company self- propelled crane (left) to alter Bridge 1383-A over the Clinch River on Dumps Creek Branch. The work involved “spreading” the bridge so that it could accommodate a wye, with its inside switch being on the bridge. (Louis M. Newton photo) |
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Virginian Class MB 429, pictured here at an unknown time and date, was built by Baldwin in May 1909. Although “officially” retired in March 1955, it was seen “under steam” at Princeton as late as November 18, 1956, possibly being used as a stationary boiler. (N&WHS Archives collection) |
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N&W’s first diesel! Although its number might suggest that RS-3 300 was N&W’s first diesel, that distinction actually belongs to sister unit 303, ex-96, pictured here on the Roanoke Shops turntable on March 15, 1962. The confusion has resulted from the way the units, along with the second group of RS-3s, were renum- bered in reverse order, as shown below: Orig Build Build Renumbered No No Date No Date Place 96 81361 09-55 303 04-04-56 Lynchburg 97 81362 09-55 302 04-05-56 Lynchburg 98 81363 09-55 301 04-02-56 Lynchburg 99 81364 10-55 300 04-03-56 Lynchburg 92 81845 01-56 307 02-27-56 Bluefield 93 81846 01-56 306 02-28-56 Bluefield 94 81847 01-56 305 03-05-56 Bluefield 95 81848 02-56 304 03-06-56 Bluefield (N&WHS Archives collection) |
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Map |
Sketch of track arrangement at Boody Yard, used primarily for interchange traffic from Clinchfield Railroad. In late 1956 tracks were being extended toward the east to provide more capacity. The Clinchfield main line formed the west leg of a wye. (Louis M. Newton collection) |
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RS-11s 318 and 315 are parked at the engine facility at Norton, Virginia, in 1956. They were part of a total of 17 RS-11s on the N&W by mid-1956, 308– 324. A crewman’s grip sits by the front step of the new Alco. (Jim Neubauer photo, Kevin EuDaly collection) |
| The Electric Virginian / Virginians New Electrics meet all requirements - Kevin EuDaly |
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Virginian’s EL-2B 126 is on display in Roanoke, Virginia, on Friday, August 31, 1957, during the National Railway Historical Society convention — the pantographs are up but not under wire. The fresh ballast along each track was part of the display and all the locomotives on display were polished up and glistening. (John Dziobko photo) |
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Cut-away view of one of the new locomotives. (Railway Age, Courtesy Simmons- Boardman Publishing) |
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This artist’s conceptual painting of an EL-2B pair gave a good general idea of what the locomotives would look like, but many of the details differ from what was actually delivered. At a glance the paint scheme in the rendering was not what was applied to the units, and the nose is elon- gated in the rendering. It does, however, capture the feel of the new electrics haul- ing coal in the mountains of West Virginia and Virginia. (N&WHS Archives collection) |
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This artist’s conceptual painting of an EL-2B pair gave a good general idea of what the locomotives would look like, but many of the details differ from what was actually delivered. At a glance the paint scheme in the rendering was not what was applied to the units, and the nose is elongated in the rendering. It does, however, capture the feel of the new electrics hauling coal in the mountains of West Virginia and Virginia. (N&WHS Archives collection) |
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It’s the summer of 1948 and the new EL-2B locomotives are in service and hauling tonnage for the Virginian. EL-2B set 126 are on the head-end of a 6,000-ton coal train heading east with an EL-3A boxcab set pushing on the rear. Each of the EL-2B cabs weighed more than a modern GE Dash-9 locomotive, and each contributed 3,400 horsepower — these were brutes in the late 1940s. (courtesy Simmons-Boardman Publishing) |
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EL-2B 127 has flags flying at Narrows, Virginia, on July 13, 1948, and has only been in service for a few months. The EL-2B cabs were painted with “Virginian” lettering on the engineer’s side and the Virginian logo on the fireman’s side. (Bob’s Photo, N&WHS Archives collection) |
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These three photographs were all taken at Roanoke, Virginia, presumably during their first summer of operation in 1948. They all appear to be taken on the same overcast day and all have unscathed pilots, indicat- ing they’ve likely only seen duty for a few months. Above, the 126 brings loads into Roanoke where steam will take over for the remainder of the trip east. In the photo on the top of the facing page, 125 has empties in tow headed for the mines to the west and is flying extra flags. The photograph on the bottom of the facing page is the same train as above, taken from an overhead bridge. (All N&WHS Archives collection) |
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Extra 126 East has coal in tow at Narrows, Virginia, on July 20, 1955. This is the “A” end of the set because the lead locomotive has two pantographs and the trailing unit only has one. (Kevin EuDaly collection) |
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Extra 126 East has coal in tow at Narrows, Virginia, on July 20, 1955. This is the “A” end of the set because the lead locomotive has two pantographs and the trailing unit only has one. (Kevin EuDaly collection) |
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The EL-2Bs could often be found in Roanoke, the eastern end of the Virginian electrification. Here the 125 set is shuffling in the yard getting ready to take empties west on August 7, 1956.
(John Dziobko photo) |
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Brand new EL-2B 127 sits in Roanoke on April 4, 1948. The tiny “EL-41” plate is clearly visible just in front of the ladder above the frame stripe. Each unit had a small “EL” number plate that identified it — 126’s pair were identified as EL-39 and EL- 40. They were all sequential — 125 was EL-37 and EL-38; 127 was EL-41 and EL-42; and 128 was EL-43 and EL-44. If a cab had a specific problem the small plates could be used to identify which cab of the pair needed attention. Interestingly, the cab has a small “F” in front of the identity plate even though the two semi- permanently coupled pair would mean that both ends are the front. Even though each pair was considered one locomotive, the cabs themselves were obviously thought of as independent units. (O. H. Borsum photo, R. R. Wallin collection) |
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This general diagram of the EL-2B locomotives was originally dated May 27, 1948, but was updated on July 16, 1948; October 8, 1956; and finally on August 2, 1960. The last update included the renumbering of the locomotives after the acquisition of the Virginian by the N&W, as seen in the table at lower left. It includes the dates built — one pair each month in January, February, March, and April. It also includes the numbering on the small “EL” plates. The “Notes” shows that of each pair, the units with serial numbers with an “A” suffix were built with two pantographs, while the opposite one only had one. The “A”-designated end was the reference for numbering the trucks. (N&WHS Archives collection) |
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The imposing front end of EL-2B 126 sticks out of the servicing barn at Roanoke on August 7, 1956. Unlike the EL-3A boxcabs that operated at 14 and 28 mph, the EL-2Bs were geared for a maximum speed of 50 mph. Unlike steam and diesel power, the electrics were amazingly quiet and even at full throttle just hummed along. (John Dziobko photo) |
