I live about 25 miles from Martinsburg, but don't spend much time there. After their use as locomotive roundhouses, I understand the two roundhouses were used for car maintenance before the railroad turned them into a shop for making track components, primarily switches and frogs. The narrow gauge tracks were there to facilitate the movement of equipment and track components through the complex. After the railroad retired the facility, the property was turned into a historic site, but vandals burned the east roundhouse. Even though the walls were brick, there was enough wood in the floor, roof, and supports that the fire became very intense. I imagine accumulated oil and grease added to the intensity of the fire, and major portions of the walls collapsed. The west roundhouse is pretty much intact, and folks in Martinsburg have been working for years to make it the heart of a historic site. This effort has waxed and waned over the years, but I have heard that there have been recent positive developments.
Tom
I have been to several back shops where small-gauge carts were used to move materials. There were even small turntables for them.
This layout shows the narrow-gauge trackage through the complex connecting the East and West roundhouses, blacksmith shop, machine shop and the frog & switch shop:
http://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/habshaer/wv/wv0200/wv0256/sheet/00001v.jpg
Walthers makes a neat little set for 2' gauge in HO that could represent this kind of trackage:
https://www.walthers.com/track-set-light-industrial-rail-series-kit
I was working from the same link that Former Lawyer posted above.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=martinsburg%2C%20wv
Here it is active. Tons of photos, documents and drawings to explore here. Most are unrestricted. I had posted an interesting look at the Grafton roundhouse about eight weeks ago:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/13/t/257561.aspx
Have Fun, Ed
See link for pictures and plans:
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=B%26O%20Roundhouse%20Martinsburg%2C%20WV&co=hh
Another more direct link.
https://www.google.com/search?q=b%26o+roundhouse+virginia&client=ms-android-sprint-us&hl=en-US&prmd=msivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjj4v2XtfDLAhUG7B4KHZ0BByUQ_AUICSgD&biw=360&bih=519&dpr=3#imgrc=htXuT0TIzmLjMM%3A
Shanny10
B&O, C&O, PRR
Just lovin trains
I didn't know any of that. No wonder the nickname for Baltimore is Mob Town. The Civil War got off to a similar start.
I did not see dual narrow gauge tracks in the above link, which is google pics. The further down the page, the more links and the more off topic the links are.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Railroad_Strike_of_1877
Required reading for anything about Martinsburg
Check out this url and look down thru photos and you will find a pic with dual gauge tracks as you asking about.
https://www.google.com/search?q=b%26o+roundhouse+virginia&client=ms-android-sprint-us&hl=en-US&prmd=msivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjj4v2XtfDLAhUG7B4KHZ0BByUQ_AUICSgD&biw=360&bih=519&dpr=3
Ken Amos Jr.
I forget the name of it, but there was a series on the History Channel about WWI and WWII with many artsy pics shot in that building. It looked like the tracks inside were dual gage. Anyone have more info on this?
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27
My shipment from Walthers made it to Martinsburg WV before dark 30 this am. I googled Martinsburg, because I wasn't sure where it was and the picture associated with the town is the roundhouse.
https://ssl.panoramio.com/photo/111932508
There was an east and west roundhouse. One was built 1866, the other 1872. If you explore other pics on this page, one has no roof.