Thursday, January 25, 2024

Princeton, WV: NS/N&W/Virginian Museum/Depot, Caboose and Transfer Table

Depot: (Satellite, 423 photos)
Transfer Table: (Satellite, it is now a parking lot)
Roundhouse: (Satellite, the land now holds aggregates for loadout.)

The carshop survives, but the locomotive shop was torn down in 2006. The roundhouse was torn down by 1960.

Street View, May 2024

Bob Conte
Virginian Railroad station in Princeton--recently placed on National Register of Historic Places.
Merle Johnson: There is a railroad museum in the station now.
Jim Kelling shared
Princeton, West Virginia (Virginian station)

Bill Johnson posted
Old Virginian Railway locomotive shops and transfer turntable in Princeton, WV in 1983. These shops have now disappeared into history.
Gilbert Porter: Curious, why where the shops on the right two to three stories high? For overhead cranes right? Shame as I enjoy seeing electrified railcard and shops.
Giovanni Cardillo: What location is this or was this?
Ken Heitzenrater shared
Sort of remind me of photos of the shops in /Renovo PA scheduled to be replaced with natural gas generation facility. The era of natural light ......
Bill Johnson posted again
The Princeton, WV locomotive shop and transfer table in 1984. All in this picture is now gone. (My picture taken in 1984)
[The comments include a lot of information, including three photos of a building being torn down.]
 
Bill Johnson commented on Gilbert's comment
 It was to allow lifting clearance for the bridge crane to lift boilers from the locomotive frames. Major locomotive repairs and rebuilds were performed in these shops.
Mark Jordan: And lifting entire locomotives including frames off of wheels too!
Michael Atkins: Bill Johnson when did they close princeton shop.
Bill Johnson: Michael Atkins Locomotive repair ceased but the shops continued for awhile repairing and rebuilding maintenance of way equipment. By the late 1990s the shops sat empty and were finally razed in 2006.
Gilbert Porter: Bill Johnson I see I am guessing freight cars where repaired as well, judging by the pick of the coal hopper in the first collage.
 
Bill Johnson commented on Gilbert's comment about a coal hopper.
The Virginian actually built their own coal hoppers in a shop complex that was behind the locomotive shops. Here's a picture of the car shop.
 
Dennis DeBruler replied to Giovanni's question
Roughly, the locomotive shop is now a scrap yard, and the transfer table is now a parking lot.
The roundhouse now stores aggregates for loadout. 1960 aerial photo.

Tim Starr posted two images with the comment: "A Virginian Railway employee is working on the casing of a turbine in the Princeton WV powerhouse. These were the main back shops and continued to operate into the Norfolk & Western era and even for a period for the Norfolk Southern."
1

2

1968 Athens and 1962 Princeton Quads @ 24,000

The interior of the Virginian caboose is preserved and viewable.
Jon Larcheveque, Oct 2022

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