I am, of course, always interested in any new information or photos concerning the Piedmont Sub. There are some things,
though, that would mean a lot to me to get. I thought that there might be some people out there with some of these
things in their possession who chose not to contact me because they weren't sure whether I’d really be interested.
So, here’s my wish list. If you have something on the list and you don’t want to part with the original I
can certainly understand that, and I’d be willing to cover duplication and shipping charges.
Thanks for looking, Larry
There’s a facility in Louisa that loads vermiculite into covered hoppers. I’d really like to know
how long it has been there, who owns it now, and who owned it in the past.
Just outside Gordonsville, near Melton, is what is now an AmeriGas propane facility. I’ve included that
facility on my model railroad, but I have a problem. I model 1970 and I recently learned that the AmeriGas brand
didn’t exist then. AmeriGas as a brand name was introduced by parent company UGI in the mid- to
late-1970’s. Prior to then the brand name was Ugite. I have a Gordonsville phone book from 1970 and it
doesn’t list a Ugite dealer. Other sources I’ve seen lead me to believe that Ugite wasn’t available
in Virginia in 1970. The phone book does list, however, a Pyrofax “gas plant” in Gordonsville. The problem is
that the phone book doesn’t list street addresses, so I can’t be sure that the Pyrofax plant was the one in
Melton. Can anyone confirm that or tell me what company did own the Melton facility in 1970? Any photos of the facility
from before it was Amerigas would also be most appreciated.
Tim Browning of CSX has confirmed that the siding was built for Pyrofax in October of 1952. In 1962 Pyrofax became part of
Union Carbide. Thanks, Tim. I am, of course, still looking for photos of the facilty before it became AmeriGas.
Information on Main Street, Gordonsville, south of the railroad bridge, in the 1965 to 1975 timeframe. I’m
especially interested in what businesses occupied the stores, photos of the area currently occupied by the new Town Hall,
and photos of the C&O’s bridge over Main Street.
Photos of any stations not currently shown on the site. Even if the photo mostly shows one of your relatives and
only a little of the depot or its interior, it would still be of interest.
Information on businesses that shipped and received via the Piedmont Sub in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s,
what they received or shipped via rail, and what kinds of cars were used.
Here’s a request from Gene Huddleston. If you can provide the information he’s looking for, let me know
and I’ll put you in touch. Here’s what he's looking for, in his words:
“I have about 60 slides most taken in 1954 and most in the Shockoe Valley. These were purchased by a
publisher at auctions, etc. The only real aid so far in identification so far has been your help with the
Richmond Locomotive Works. I have track charts that include maps of the C&O yards at Richmond. And those
help (like locating the site of the 70 ft. turntable and the wheel drop pit at the passenger shops. Do you have
pictures of operators cabins (or towers) belonging to C&O in Richmond area (on Piedmont only)? I have good
ones that I took of the RF&P tower at Doswell. But I am looking for one that was at the west end of the
17th St yard about a mile north of the tower at Main Street station. From the aerial photo I have the office
appears to be a modernistic one story brick building made from same design as C&O towers at Carey, Ohio, West
Hanlin, WV and at the east end of Hinton’s Avis yard. Can you or an old timer in the area tell me about
structures (including an operators tower or "cabin") at the west end throat of the 17th St yard? In 1976 I got a
shot of the yard masters office about a half mile north of Main St. station about where the interchange was with
the SAL. So I know my way around a little bit. Oh yes, at 2nd St yard (ACL Conn) on the Rivanna was the yardmaters
shanty a converted caboose?
The last thing on the list is one I’ve been looking for for 27 years now. Back in 1981 I was newly married when
I wandered into Cornish and Sons hobbyshop in Alexandria, Virginia one afternoon. I saw there a book titled something like
Railroad Stations of Virginia. My memory is that the book was large (larger than 8½ by 11), hard cover (I
think the cover was brown with gold lettering), and expensive (my memory was that it cost $30 or more). The book had several —
maybe 5 or 6 — pages of photos of the Gordonsville passenger station, including the interior. I didn’t buy it then
because my new wife would have hit the ceiling if I had spent $30 on a train book. I’ve never seen it again, and
I’d really like to get a copy. Several years ago I began asking about it online and people pointed me to John F.
Gilbert’s Crossties to the Depot, Volume One: Virginia Railroad Stations. I’ve got a copy of that
book and it’s not the one I remember. If anyone can even provide me the author’s name and title
of the book I remember I’d really appreciate it.
Please note that, due to a huge volume of spam coming in on my email account, I’ve had to change my email address.
The new address is lzdaily@nospam.piedmontsub.com (but remove the nospam and the dot before piedmontsub.com).
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