SAL Virginia Division employee timetable No. 5 dated October 29, 1961 mentions "JR Tower", "Seaboard Junction" and "Terminal Junction" in the section regarding "Rules Richmond Terminal Company". Does anyone know the location (by SAL milepost number if possible)of these three entities in relation to Richmond's Broad Street Station?

-- Russ Black (black2@widomaker.com), August 21, 2003

Answers

The original station track layout of Broad Street Station was planned so that reverse movements by RF&P and ACL were eliminated. The tracks were arranged in a loop. ACL trains from the south approached the station over the northbound main track of James River Branch and the wye track at "AY" and entered the station layout from the west. Southbound RF&P trains entered the station from the same end by means of a second approach track leading off the RF&P main line. All ACL and RF&P trains left the station from the east, passing around the loop. Train movements into and out of the station were controlled from two interlocking plants. One (known as "AY") was located at the wye connection. The other (known as "JR") was located at the station. "JR" Interlocking was located in "JR" Tower, which was located in a separate building in front of the heating plant and almost directly across the tracks from the station concourse. When a train departed Broad Street Station, after going around the loop track, it re-entered the main line on the east side of the station at "Terminal Junction". "JR" Interlocking and "Terminal Junction" were located on the RF&P's property and were not designed with SAL milepost numbers. The SAL passenger trains began to use Broad Street Station on April 26, 1959. This involved the construction of a new section of track at "JR" Interlocking. Due to the location of SAL tracks in relation to the station, SAL trains had to back-in and back- out of the station. Northbound SAL trains had to back in to the station and southbound SAL trains had to back out of the station. The point of connection between the SAL main line and the Broad Street Station (Richmond Terminal) tracks was known as "Seaboard Junction". RF&P Operating Rules described "Seaboard Junction" as being located 1437 feet south of the No. 1 Signal Bridge at "AY" Interlocking on the east side of the thoroughfare track and connected to SAL tracks. The northbound SAL trains left SAL tracks at crossover switch No. 55 at "JR" Interlocking. After proceeding northward a sufficient distance to clear the crossover, a back-in move was made into the station. When the train came to a rest, the SAL motive power was located at the west end of the station, where power was changed with the RF&P. After a change of motive power, the train pulled directly out of the station and proceeded north over the RF&P. Southbound RF&P trains destined to the SAL pulled into the station. After an exchange of motive power at the east end of the station, SAL trains had to back out, through "Seaboard Junction" and onto the SAL main line. After clearing the crossover, the SAL train proceeded southbound over SAL tracks towards Brown Street Yard and Main Street Station.

-- William E. Griffin, Jr. (Griffinwejr@aol.com), August 22, 2003.