REPORT OF ENGINEER AND SUPERINTENDENT
OFFICE ENG. AND SUPR. & Y.R.RR October 1 1861
GENTLEMEN, The annual report from this office is confined entirely to the operations incident to the completion, its present condition and necessities of the road.
As to the operations in the transportation department, receipts, disbursements, &c, you are referred to the report of the treasurer, which is believed to compare favorably with that of the preceding year.
Completion of road to West Point
At the date of the last report the, 38th section, together with the wharf at the eastern terminus, remained unfinished, although the road had been in operation to West Point over a temporary track since the 1st day of August.
The 1st day of January found the work still unfinished, when the contract was abandoned, and it was carried on to completion by the company at a cost much below the contractor's prices. The wharf is built in the most substantial manner, of superior materials, and capable of sustaining the heaviest locomotives.
On the 29th day of March last the company's steamer West Point made her first connection with the train at the proper terminus of the road.
From this date the through working of the road may be considered to commence having been heretofore restricted to a very light freight business owing to the difficulty in the way of transhipment at West Point.
Condition of road bed road repairs &c
During the year a very considerable portion of the road bed has been improved, by being partially ballasted with sand and gravel, an inexhaustible quantity of which is found upon the line; and I would recommend a thorough improvement of the road in this respect, as the comfort, safety and reduced cost of repairs to road and machinery will afford an ample return for the investment.
The wet nature of some parts of the road requiring constant attention to protect the iron, and the constant ditching required to keep the heavy sand cuts upon other portions clear, run up the cost of road repairs beyond the usual figures at best; but during the last year, which has been peculiarly trying upon all the roads in the state, this account is increased by a number of heavy slides and the carrying away of several embankments.
The most troublesome of these are the slides at Romancoke bluffs, upon the Pamunkey, where a change of alignment has been determined upon, and a force engaged in carrying it into effect
Bridging trestle work and cutouts
The Pamunkey and Upper Black creek bridges sustained some injury from the high waters of last spring, but were repaired at light cost. The latter will require an abutment to be replaced; the foundation of which yielded to the action of the water, the bridge being now supported by a wooden abutment at that end Lower Black Creek, Chickahominy and Cohoke bridges are in good order. Gillies' creek trestle has been nearly filled in, and the work is now suspended for the want of cars.
The trestle across Chickahominy bottom requires to be filled in, which when done, will necessitate the introduction of another span of fifty feet, and the building of the necessary abutments. The present single span of fifty feet, which rests upon pile abutments, will not afford sufficient water way.
There are several smaller streams, crossed by light trestles, which I would recommend to replace with culverts.
Buildings turnouts water stations &c
During the year there has been completed, at Richmond, a substantial and convenient brick passenger depot, with extensive shed attached, sufficient to accommodate the passenger and baggage cars now upon the road.
At Fair Oaks and Summit, there are neither turnouts or buildings of any description, nor does the business of the former point require any at present.
At Meadow, Dispatch and Tunstall's, the only other points west of the Pamunkey, sufficient buildings and turnouts had been completed prior to the date of the last report.
At Fish Hall*, Cohoke, Sweet Hall, Romancoke and West Point, there are neither buildings or turnouts, except at Romancoke and West Point- at each of which places there is a single siding. The grading of the depot lot at Richmond has so far progressed during the year to admit of the side tracks being run under the shed, and the passenger cars, while at this end of the line are now protected from the weather.
The temporary track through the village of West Point has not been removed, owing to the unimproved condition of the streets connecting the depot lot with the high land, and the convenience it afforded of delivering ordnance, supplies, &c. at that point being a military post.
It is designed, however, as soon as the proper crossings to and necessary buildings at the terminus of the road have been completed, to remove this, as the iron and ties are needed at other points.
There are three water stations upon the line: one at Richmond, supplied, without pumping, from Bloody run spring; one at Dispatch, supplied by means of rams, from Carter's mill pond, and the other at the crossing of the Pamunkey river, supplied by hand pump.
It is proposed to erect a wind mill to do the pumping at West Point, which, if it succeeds, and it can scarcely prove a failure at so exposed a point near the sea coast, labor in this department will become unnecessary, and a saving of 300 per annum effected.
Outfit
We have four engines- the York and Atlantic, new and in good order; the Mattaponi and Pamunkey, in as good condition as age and hard work permit, having been purchased of the Central rail road company (then old machines) and run constantly since the track laying on your road commenced. The Pamunkey, which went down with the slide at Romancoke bluff, and was reduced to a wreck, has been repaired, and is again at work.
During the unusual wet weather of last spring an accident occurred, resulting in no damage, except to the road bed, unheard of before, I believe, in the history of roads.
An embankment upon the lower end of the line gave way with a section of track under the engine Atlantic, while standing letting it down to a bearing fifteen feet below the grade of the road, without getting off the iron or losing its perpendicular. The engine was gotten out without being injured in the slightest degree.
We have four first class passenger cars, one baggage car, ten box and fifteen flat cars, four material (side dumpers) cars and fifteen small ditching. hand and crank cars.
Under many of the freight cars new trucks of a superior kind, built at our own shops, have been introduced; and from time to time, until all the old ones have been replaced, which are of a light and imperfect character, this work will be carried on.
An express and baggage car has been commenced, and, during the coming year, it is calculated to make such additions to our insufficient amount of stock as the means of the company and facilities for doing so will admit.
(then followed an item list of the cost of putting the road in a "thorough state of completion" and costs of equipment.)
- Annual Report of the Board of Public Works to the General ..., Parts 3-4 Doc. 17
The Chief Engineer writing this is Robert H. Temple of Gloucester (1831-1901)
Further information in the report states that the line 38.3 miles long, has four engines, four passenger cars, one mail/express car, and 46 freight cars.
A first class ticket was 5 cents a mile.
*Lestor Manor
