Steam & Excursion > Southern 4501 in Altavista,Va

Sept 1977
During the '77 Roanoke NRHS Convention one of the excursions involved the T&P 610 doubleheaded with the 4501 from Roanoke - Lynchburg.  
There the 610 was cut off and the 4501 continued to Altavista (for servicing as seen here) then back to Roanoke via the ex-Virginian route.
It is by the ex-Virginian station built in 1957 after the wood one burned down.
It is still there today.
Fun day.

Gary

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Photo #4 ...
That's sure an awkward way to fill a lubricator.
Its why I copied C&O's practice of using auxiliary oil 
reservoirs for their mechanical lubricators.  
But, ours were of larger capacity.

It also was inviting contamination and dirt when you have to 
open the whole top of the lubricator, just to fill the oil reservoir.
Our added reservoirs had readily available fill fittings,  easily 
reachable.  It's much easier to fill them, in trip preparation 
time, than out on the 'road'.. We never needed to open the lubricator's
cover. 

One fill-up could go for 3-days with of trips.

Both NKP 759 & RDG 2102 still carry their aux reservoirs,
for each of their two reservoirs.  
C&O 614 still carries its C&O-added oil tank, each side.

​W.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/23 11:21 by wcamp1472.

Great photos! Said circle trip would be a little difficult today, though, and I'm not just talking about the usual woes of mainline excursions. NS replaced the Southern-Virginian connection in Altavista with the Hurt Connection after the merger in 1982... so there'd be no way to have the train facing toward Roanoke if it came from Lynchburg!

Speaking of which, anyone know what the exact layout of the old connection was? Was there a wye or just a connecting track?

Superior set of 4501 photos.
Bob

DRGWMark Wrote:
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> Great photos! Said circle trip would be a little
> difficult today, though, and I'm not just talking
> about the usual woes of mainline excursions. NS
> replaced the Southern-Virginian connection in
> Altavista with the Hurt Connection after the
> merger in 1982... so there'd be no way to have the
> train facing toward Roanoke if it came from
> Lynchburg!
>
> Speaking of which, anyone know what the exact
> layout of the old connection was? Was there a wye
> or just a connecting track?

As I recall it was a connecting track utilizing the old Southern bridge across the Roanoke River.  Coming from Lynchburg, the train would have crossed the higher current bridge and then backed down the connecting track to the Virginian.

Jim

Jimbo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> DRGWMark Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Great photos! Said circle trip would be a
> little
> > difficult today, though, and I'm not just
> talking
> > about the usual woes of mainline excursions. NS
> > replaced the Southern-Virginian connection in
> > Altavista with the Hurt Connection after the
> > merger in 1982... so there'd be no way to have
> the
> > train facing toward Roanoke if it came from
> > Lynchburg!
> >
> > Speaking of which, anyone know what the exact
> > layout of the old connection was? Was there a
> wye
> > or just a connecting track?
>
> As I recall it was a connecting track utilizing
> the old Southern bridge across the Roanoke River.
>  Coming from Lynchburg, the train would have
> crossed the higher current bridge and then backed
> down the connecting track to the Virginian.
>
> Jim

Thanks.