Does anybody know if N&W's two roundhouses in Portsmouth Ohio were both used for locos or was one for cars?
From the information I have both was for locomotives one was for light repairs and the other for heavey( not back shop) repairs.
For those that may not know Portsmouth was home to three divisions.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
The following information is from Norfolk & Western Railway: Pocahontas Coal Carrier by Richard E. Prince (1980):
The track plan of the Portsmouth, Ohio shops and roundhouses from 1928 shows one 40 stall roundhouse with a 115' turntable, and a nearly adjacent 21 stall roundhouse with another 115' turntable. The Round House Machine Shop with dimensions of 114' x 140' is between the two. There is one through track to all of this, such that one would have been able to pass through both roundhouses and across both turntables on a straight alignment.
Quoting now from the text (page 90):
"East Portsmouth Roundhouse (West) was built in 1903 as a 20-stall brick roundhouse with 85-ft turntable. Four years later a second 20-stall roundhouse completed the circle around the turntable, with inlet and outlet tracks between the two buildings that became to be known as one 40-stall roundhouse. The turntable was later replaced by another of 100-ft length and the first 20 stalls extended to handle Mallet locomotives. Finally, in 1926-27, an 115-ft turntable was installed and the old one sent to Lynchburg. This 40-stall roundhouse was retired after the Second World War, and replaced by a modern brick and glass locomotive inspection building containing two long inspection pits.
"East Portsmouth Roundhouse (East) was built in 1926-27 as a second brick engine house to supplement the existing one. This new roundhouse of 21 stalls was also equipped with an 115-ft turntable, and was one of the most modern to be constructed in this country. It had a 10-ton traveling crane passing around the house over all pits."
Notice the phrasing of "engine house" in the description of the second (East) roundhouse. Other points in the text cite "extensive freight car shops". One photo on page 91 shows some massive buildings to the west of that 40-stall "West" roundhouse that could well be the car shops.
Hope this helps. Bill
Thanks for the info Bill.
Looked for the book on the web but $250 is the cheapest I found.
Sheldon
Beach Bill One photo on page 91 shows some massive buildings to the west of that 40-stall "West" roundhouse that could well be the car shops.
That would be the car and wheel shops..
I lived in Portsmouth area and railfaned around the yards a lot.
Maybe this will help.
.
Jim, I make a copy for my N&W files?
Even though it marked 1928 it looked like that in the late 70s except the coaling towers was gone..
BRAKIE Jim, I make a copy for my N&W files? Even though it marked 1928 it looked like that in the late 70s except the coaling towers was gone..
Fine with me. The underpass at the Hump is neat. There are a few pictures of engines passing underneath around in books.
BigJim Maybe this will help.
What a GREAT map! Thanks for sharing that, Jim.
A 2000-ton coaling tower. That must have been absolutely mammoth...
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
BigJim BRAKIE Jim, I make a copy for my N&W files? Even though it marked 1928 it looked like that in the late 70s except the coaling towers was gone.. Fine with me. The underpass at the Hump is neat. There are a few pictures of engines passing underneath around in books.
Thanks!
The sad part is the hump,roundhouses,shops is gone and the yard downsized to near nothing..The Portsmouth-Cincinnati (the peavine) sub is mothballed.
NS's Kenova yard handles the terminal work.
I had photos of N&W T-6s working the hump and Trainmasters flat switching the freight yard.
For those who may be interested. Pic's, Info and Maps:
https://www.google.com/search?q=Images+N%26W+Railroad+Portsmouth+Ohio+Roundhouse&client=firefox-a&hs=hR7&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=fflb&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=6NItU4DiKcnayAGnmoGwAQ&ved=0CDIQsAQ&biw=1024&bih=649
Frank
Frank,The Columbus,Ohio photos brings back a lot of childhood memories..I been at those double crossing diamonds a lot when I was a kid thanks to a MOW access road just a tad west of the diamonds...There was several of those roads around the Columbus yards.