Movemnet marked Ferd Green. Roanoke VA.
Serial#1248375

Here is the dial for N&W special

Hoo Wee Bernie...

isn't this one too far 'south' for you ???

in case many don't know Roanoke was/is a big RR town....

Have a friend that is a mechanical engineer with N/S that was working in Roanoke for a while. He gave me a first class tour of the facility one day, including One of his projects that required them to dig a foundation for a device to lift and rotate/turn rail cars for welding. When they dug the foundation, ( about 16 feet ), they found an old foundation for construction that was performed there around 1900...

Terry,
Not too far.
My father was born in Roanoke, my grandfather
in Charlotsvile where my greatgrandfather
setteled in 1871 from Frankfort Germany.My
wife and I few years ago visited Roanoke.
You may know Roanoke was on the main line of the
N.& W and in 1899( when my father was born)

the N&W employed more than 3000 people.According to the Routledge Historical
Atlas of American Railroads;the N&W while
building its road through Virgina discovered
large deposits of bituminus(sp) soft coal in 1870.Which was the major fuel source
during the age of steam.

What a great RR marked Illinois watch!

Thanks for showing Bernie ... I'd never heard of this before and always enjoy seeing something new!!!

Fred

Bernie,
Thanks for sharing the pl N&W Special.

I lived about 1/4 miles from the N&W depot, and remember seeing the old steam engine puffing smoke until they converted to diesel later on.

N&W memorabilia dated 1948.

Thanks,
Terry, Fred, and Robert for your valued
comments.

Robert,
Your N.& W. pad lock is a great item. Do you
remember The N.& W. Powatan(?) Passanger Express
that ran from Norfolk(?) to Detroit trough
ky, WVA(at Kenova WVA) into Ohio and on to
Detroit(?)That train as a kid I loved to
ride... one of the last streamline steam
engines...of a buygone era.

Bernie,
Thanks, I don't recall the express that you mentioned, but I have always liked the old steam engines.

The N&W left Abingdon, Va. and came through Damascus, Va (my home town) and on to West Jefferson, NC. and returned in the late afternoon.

Below is a link to a map that might interest you.

Robert

N&W (1889)

My family were all N&W employees in Portsmouth, Ohio, up until my Dad left in 53 to work for Goodyear Atomic. My grandfather was a boilermaker in the engine shop, and my great grandfather was chief locomotive inspector of the Portsmouth Ohio Terminal. He claimed to his dying day that the N&W 'ran him off' (well, actually they did, as they allowed him to work WELL past the regular retirement date, and he was there into his mid 70's), and were all hard core Elgin watch carry folks.

Regarding the Powatan Arrow...my best friend's grandfather was the chief engineer for the Arrows' run from Portsmouth to Cincinnati up the Peavine from the late 40s up to the last day the train ran through Portsmouth. He carried an Illinois Bunn Special (which my best friend still has), which was a bit of friendly 'contention' between my friend and myself. I remember the Arrow passing through almost everyday until it fell out of the schedule in the early 70's.

This is the first N&W Specials I've ever heard of, let alone seen! WOW!!!

High regards! Mark