Menu

Andover Yard

  This was the main yard for the Interstate railroad.  The railroad's Headquarters, car shop, engine shop, machine shop and a turntable were located here.  The following will give you a general idea how Andover was laid out. 

  Starting at the north end of the yard (toward Mudlick Jct.), moving right to left.

 Cemetery spur - Unknown length - stub end toward the south.

  New Extension - Unknown length - stub end toward the south.

  Main line

  4 scale lead tracks - each track would hold about 20-24 cars each.  Each was known as 1-4.  With #4 being closest to the main.  The #4 scale lead track connected to the "new" mainline, also known as the #4 interchange track and #1 empty (car) track. 

  2 more empty (car) tracks for holding about 40-60 cars each.

  The scale lead tracks lead to the scale track and the scale runaround track.  These 2 tracks opened up into the 5 scale yard tracks.  These tracks would hold about 24-32 cars each.  To the east of these tracks was the main and the "new" cab track.

   On the east side of the mainline, were the shop tracks.  The shop switch was located on the main, just east of the tailend of the scale lead tracks.  The shop crossover track was a spur-end track of unknown size, then split the 2 shop tracks with a hopper repair shed in the middle of them.  The next track over was the diesel shop track.  On the far side of this shop was the turntable lead and turntable.  The lead came from the south end of the shop tracks and ended passed the turntable on a single track with a covered shed.  The covered shed was used for washing the engines.  The turntable was a simple affair, it only served two functions.  First, it would turn the engines around and second it was a lead for the wash shed.   The water/fuel tank track was on a raise above the southern part of the shop area.  The water tower was converted to hold diesel fuel after the steam days were over. All the watering and fueling of the engines was done on the shop tracks south of the shops.

  At the southern end of the yard was a 2 track spur, that when off to the west, that was the car repair shed and later storage for the MOW equipment.  This is also the same shed that business car 101 was stored for many years.

  The main line continued south a short distance then split.  To the right it went to Appalachia to exchange with the Southern.  To the left it went on to the other branches that make up the Interstate and to exchanges with L&N, N&W, and the Clinchfield.