Eastern Railroad Discussion > Yadkin Valley RR

We visited our daughter over Easter in Cornelius, NC. April 19th turned out to be rainy and the decision was made to drive up I-77 to visit some vineyards. At one vineyard we asked for any suggestions for a good place to eat. We were told the food was good at Harry's Place in Elkin, NC. When we arrived at Harry's near front street I saw two locomotives tied down not too far from where we parked. I only had my cell phone and I took a few pictures. I had hopped to take some pictures with my camera early morning Monday on the way back home. We got there just as the sun was rising but the units were gone. So I am glad I took a few pictures with my cell phone. I did some research when I got home and found it interesting. Just proves you never know what you might run into.

1. YVRR# 9630 ( GP40-2 )

2. YVRR# 6007 ( SD40-2 )

3. Gulf & Ohio emblem on #9630

One more.................

---

---

---

4. A somewhat blurry YVRR emblem on YVRR# 9630

Thanks for looking, John

---

I'm glad you had your cell phone as these photos are quite good for a cell phone. I like the red and white emblem as it adds color to a mostly black locomotive.
Bob

jmbreitigan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just proves you never know what you might run into.
>
> 1. YVRR# 9630 ( GP40-2 )
>
> 2. YVRR# 6007 ( SD40-2 )
>
> 3. Gulf & Ohio emblem on #9630
>
> One more.................

just proves you never go anywhere without your camera ... what the hell were you thinking John :-) ... nice images

This lines operates the former Southern Railway/Norfolk Southern North Wilkesboro branch between Rural Hall and North Wilkesboro, NC. Actually, I don't think the track is in service west of an industry in Roaring River, NC, along the Yadkin River, but the track remains in place.

I had originally written that the interchange with NS takes place at Rural Hall, NC, but arandall70 points out below that Yadkin Valley now operates all the way to North Winston Yard in Winston-Salem, NC, which is here: http://goo.gl/maps/z1is6 The yard is on the right side of the photo, across the street from Smith Reynolds Airport. The Yadkin Valley line must back into or out of the yard, since it has a reverse connection just off the bottom of the map. Its line goes off the left side of the map, roughly paralleling Indiana Avenue.

The old Southern Ry station in Rural Hall still stands, although it's now a beauty shop, according to a popular mapping program: http://goo.gl/maps/E8lEP

Rural Hall is interesting because the station sat between two ex-Southern branches which converged in the town and then separated again, but didn't cross. The two lines were the ex-Atlantic & Yadkin (A&Y) between Greenboro, Rural Hall and Mt. Airy, NC, and the North Wilkesboro branch between Winston-Salem, Rural Hall and N. Wilkesboro. In the link above, the tank cars are sitting on the former A&Y, while the former N. Wilkesboro branch is in the background. The interchange between the lines is just north of the old station.

Going north on the ex-A&Y to Mt. Airy, following it on the maps, it doesn't look like there are any consignees up there, but then I thought I spied a few cars under a shed on the south side of Mt. Airy. The track is intact all the way to the granite quarries, although it's overgrown the last mile or so. Going southeast out of Mt. Airy toward Greenboro, the ex-A&Y only appears to have track for about a half mile.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/14 10:45 by knotch8.

Elkin!

Dumb but true story. In 2011, I had paid the YVRR a visit. Started in Winston-Salem, navigated thick fog to Dundarrah where I found a small engine facility, couple of locomotives and no activity. I headed west, hearing someone talking on the radio. I determined that something was running west and high-tailed it to Elkin, where I stood at the grade crossing right by downtown.

In due course, a light engine set of three tunnel motors showed up.

I chased to the mill at Roaring River, chatted there with the conductor, waited for him to make his pickup and chased back west, through Elkin and as far as Burch.

Coupla months later, I was labeling the slides.....

Yeah, slides.....

And I thought to myself, "Self, why does that town name of Elkin, NC seem so familiar?"

The answer came to me about 10 minutes later: I'd seen the name on caller ID on our phone at home...because my brother-in-law lives in Elkin.


Photo 1: light engines westbound downtown

Photo 2: "kudzu bridge" and eastbound just west of downtown Elkin

BobE

---

---

Glad my pictures brought back a few memories.
John

knotch8 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This lines operates the former Southern
> Railway/Norfolk Southern North Wilkesboro branch
> between Rural Hall and North Wilkesboro, NC.
> Actually, I don't think the track is in service
> west of an industry in Roaring River, NC, along
> the Yadkin River, but the track remains in place.
>
> Interchange at Rural Hall is with NS, which takes
> the freight the rest of the way down the branch to
> Winston-Salem. The old Southern Ry station in
> Rural Hall still stands, although it's now a
> beauty shop, according to a popular mapping
> program: http://goo.gl/maps/E8lEP
>
> Rural Hall is interesting because the station sat
> between two ex-Southern branches which converged
> in the town and then separated again, but didn't
> cross. The two lines were the ex-Atlantic &
> Yadkin (A&Y) between Greenboro, Rural Hall and Mt.
> Airy, NC, and the North Wilkesboro branch between
> Winston-Salem, Rural Hall and N. Wilkesboro. In
> the link above, the tank cars are sitting on the
> former A&Y, while the former N. Wilkesboro branch
> is in the background. The interchange between the
> lines is just north of the old station.
>
> Going north on the ex-A&Y to Mt. Airy, following
> it on the maps, it doesn't look like there are any
> consignees up there, but then I thought I spied a
> few cars under a shed on the south side of Mt.
> Airy. The track is intact all the way to the
> granite quarries, although it's overgrown the last
> mile or so. Going southeast out of Mt. Airy
> toward Greenboro, the ex-A&Y only appears to have
> track for about a half mile.

Thank you for the info.
John

BobE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Elkin!
>
> Dumb but true story. In 2011, I had paid the YVRR
> a visit. Started in Winston-Salem, navigated
> thick fog to Dundarrah where I found a small
> engine facility, couple of locomotives and no
> activity. I headed west, hearing someone talking
> on the radio. I determined that something was
> running west and high-tailed it to Elkin, where I
> stood at the grade crossing right by downtown.
>
> In due course, a light engine set of three tunnel
> motors showed up.
>
> I chased to the mill at Roaring River, chatted
> there with the conductor, waited for him to make
> his pickup and chased back west, through Elkin and
> as far as Burch.
>
> Coupla months later, I was labeling the
> slides.....
>
> Yeah, slides.....
>
> And I thought to myself, "Self, why does that town
> name of Elkin, NC seem so familiar?"
>
> The answer came to me about 10 minutes later: I'd
> seen the name on caller ID on our phone at
> home...because my brother-in-law lives in Elkin.
>
>
>
> Photo 1: light engines westbound downtown
>
> Photo 2: "kudzu bridge" and eastbound just west of
> downtown Elkin
>
> BobE

Bob, in your second picture with the kudzu trestle, Harry's place (where we ate) is just to the right.
John

Nice catch with your phone and the information it generated from other posts, you sure that's not a Nikophone?

Nice photos and great information. I am always learning from you.

Nancy

The Yadkin Valley now goes all the way down to North Winston Yard in Winston-Salem to interchange with Norfolk Southern.

Great stuff, like the Yadkin Valley logo with the converging rivers.