Vol. 18, No. 4 July / August 2002  Issue Select 
Issue Details
Cover Title: The Forgotten N&W: POTTS VALLEY
Cover Subtitle: Adventures on the Durham Line and: N&W's Class GD Gondola
On the Cover: The date, location, and details of this publicity photo of Big Stony #1, a 4-6-0 from the earliest days of railroading, are unknown; an educated guess might be it was taken to mark the opening of the Big Stony Railway, which later became N&W's Potts Valley Branch.
Articles In This Issue
Potts Valley / N&W's forgotten branch line - John Joseph
  Photo NS train 147 is taking the Potts Valley Connection Bridge to cross from the ex-N&W Christiansburg District to the ex-VGN Whitethorne District enroute to work at the Celanese plant, 6.8 miles further west, at Celco, VA on May 8, 1999. (Evertt N. Young Photo)
  Photo A three-car mixed train travels the Potts Valley Branch in August, 1923. (John Furrow Collection / WV State Archives)
  Map The West Virginia Geological Survey topography map of the Potts Valley area. The route of N&W's branch line is shown as a gray dotted line. (John Joseph Collection)
  Photo Waiteville, WV, circa 1910. The railroad depot and stock pens are in the foreground. Barely visible near the center of the photograph (above the forest line) is one of the high trestles near Ray. (John Furrow Collection / WV State Archives)
  Photo A rare artifact from the Big Stony: this "foreign" pass (one issued to employees of other roads allowing them to ride the issuing road for free) was issued to one W.T. Duncan, who at the time of issue was the N&W agent at Ripplemead, Va. (K.L. Miller, Tommy Duncan Collection)
  Photo This N&W Excursion of 1932 was the last passenger train on the Potts Valley Branch through Waiteville, WV. Engine #950, the first of 12 Class V 4-6-0's built by Baldwin in 1900 for freight service came equipped with 19" x 28" cylinder and 56" drivers. The entire class, which also included five Richmond-built locomotives from 1902, was soon converted by the N&W to passenger service with 19-1/2" x 28" cylinders and 62" drivers and designated Class V1 while retaining their original numbers. #950 was scrapped in October, 1948. (John Furrow Collection / WV State Archives)
  Photo A major renovation has occurred at the former N&W Paint Bank, VA passenger station, aimed at conversion to a bed and breakfast. This photo was taken Dec. 15, 2001. (John Joseph Photo)
  Photo The author's sons, Jeffery, age 11 (left) and Matthew, age 8, stand on crumbling stonework that once supported a trestle bent near Ray Siding. (John Joseph Photo)
  Photo NS V33 works the APG Lime Corp. plant at Kerns (Goldbond) VA on April 8, 1988. The plant is now operated by the Chemical Lime Company. (John Joseph Photo)
  Photo The crew of NS V33, the westbound Bluefield-Radford Shifter, has left the power and gone for beans at a nearby diner just east (railroad west) of Potts Valley milepost 4 near Kerns, VA on the ofternoon of April 8, 1988. (John Joseph Photo)
  Photo Tracks of the remaining segment of the Potts Valley Branch cross Stony Creek via Bridge 2404 at milepost PV3 at Kimballton, VA. The date is Dec. 15, 2001. (John Joseph Photo)
  Photo A bridge on the Potts Valley right of way remains, resting peacefully in a farm field between Ray and Waiteville, VA. Right of way of the lower level is visible at the base of the hill in the distance. Feb. 20, 1988. (John Joseph Photo)
  Sidebar Notice of discontinuance of train service on the Potts Valley Branch of the Radford Division, effective October 30th, 1932 (John Joseph Photo)
N&W's Class GD Gondola / The history and construction of a wooden classic - Jim Cochran
  Photo A rare photo of the Class GD all wood gondola. (Jim Cochran Collection)
  Drawing Mechanical Drawing: Half Side Elevation and Half Longitudinal Section.
  Drawing Mechanical Drawing: Half Plan of Floor, half Plan of Underframe. Gondola-Car Body, for Coal and Lumber. Norfolk & Western Railroad.
  Drawing Half End Elevation and Half Cross Section.
  Drawing Details of Drop Door Mechanism
  Drawing Pin and Link Coupler / Draft Gear.
  Drawing N&W Arch Bar Truck, Class TD
Tales from the Front / Adventures on the Durham Line - Fred Reburn; Rob Minton
  Map No caption. Map shows the N&W line from Lynchburg to Durham N.C. (Bud Jefferies - Giant of Steam ??)
  Photo K-1 No. 112, with Train No. 35, passes Washington Street in Durham, NC on August 2, 1950. (R.D. Carneal Photo, N&WHS Archives Collection)
  Photo The wreck at Rougemont, NC in 1949 brought quite a mess to a local farmer's hog lot. (Fred Reburn Collection)
  Photo As Z-1 No. 1333 lies in the brush, one of the animals walks calmly by on the right, apparently unperturbed by the disturbance. The farmer, we assume, had a more vociferous reaction. (Fred Reburn Collection)
  Photo From 1977, left to right: Warren Dearing, Fireman; Leroy Shaner, Engineer; Author Fred Reburn, Brakeman; Richard Slater, Brakeman; J. Wade Carter, Conductor. (Fred Reburn Collection)
The Tennessean / My summer as a section hand - James Nichols
In Scale / Modeling the Virginian Train Masters - George Hughes; David Estep
  Photo The prototype: a pair of Virginian Train Masters passes the Mullens passenger station with a coal train in April, 1956. (George Hughes Collection)
  Photo The left side view of Mr. Estep's model. (David Estep)
  Photo Right rear, 3/4 view, showing the end detail on the rear of the locomotive. (David Estep)
  Photo Left front, 3/4 high view. (David Estep)
Vol. 18, No. 4 July / August 2002  Issue Select