Sharpest mainline curve on the NS, and the neatest junction to boot. Ought-One

Traffic was heavy when we went to check out a neat junction on the Norfolk Southerns Pocahontas Division at Devon, WV. The location is known as "Ought-One". At 12 degrees, it is on one of the tightest mainline curves on the NS Pokey Division, and it is the junction with the NS Buchanan Branch. The junction is in the middle of the curve, and both legs of the Y cross a bridge, and duck into a tunnel. Its 2002, so there are plenty of Conrail blue units still running around.
Hope you enjoyed this neat location, and hope I captured it
for everyone can get an idea what this location is like.
Thanks for watching. Please be sure to check out my
many other video clips from the 1970's up to today.
God Bless
Please do not use without permission
All my videos and images are Copyright protected.
Filmed with a Sharp VHS Slimcam on the Norfolk Southern
Pocahontas Division in April of 2002
God Bless our troops, and,
God Bless the United States of America
Copyright Jack D Kuiphoff © 7/20/2019
John 3:16
"You are worth a Son to God"
Quote is from our pastor at Journey By Grace Church, Pastor Bill Bailey.
/ @journeybygrace

[@apostleverde]

Jack, as always, thank you so much for sharing your memories! What a treasure trove this one is! So much that was and is no more...

[@1jackdk]

Glad you enjoyed it. Seems like every year, we loose more and more of our railroad history. Thanks for watching...

[@davidremy4470]

What a great spot, so much going on, very interesting. As always , great video Jack, thanks for posting.

[@1jackdk]

Thanks David, glad you enjoyed it. It was non stop action when we was there. There was a lot of trains I didn't add to the clip, or it would have been over an hour long. But yes, what a neat interesting place. Thanks for watching...

[@herinol]

Man. Im miss big blue.

[@1jackdk]

Yah. I do to!

[@geac9100]

That was a neat location.

[@rogerevans936]

Looks like a White Road Commander 2 in your profile pic. Factory arrow colour scheme too. About a dozen of them were built here in Australia prior to Whites demise in 1982/83. White trucks, particularly Road Boss conventionals were big sellers down under. Solid Road Train and heavy haulage units

[@1jackdk]

Yah Roger. I spent a good many miles behind the wheel of that Road-commode. LOL Nice truck, but it sure did have its electical problems. It had you on your toes all night long. Be driving down a dark highway at 2 in the morning, and BANG! Every light on the truck went out. I got use to it though. I'd just pushed the seat back, and with my left foot, would kick the junction box mounted on the left kickpanel, and let her have it. Then I was good for a while again. Other than that! It was a nice driving and handling truck. www.flickr.com/photos/jackdk/4252408402/in/album-72157659200899569/

[@iusetano]

Amazing. Excellent video Jack.

[@snprout]

Beyond excellent video Jack, as always. I didn't know you were a trucker.. I spent 41 years behind the wheel before retiring a couple of years ago.. I bet we could trade some tales (and lies lol). Keep up the great work. I love your stuff!

[@1jackdk]

Oh yah!!!! Lots of stories for sure. I retired about 6 years ago, and have about 50 years in. I still run a couple times a month for my last employer to cover vacations, plus it funds my latest project. I bought a 85 Mack Superliner with a Big cam 400. Been showing it, and the PT runs help with getting more chrome. LOL. Glad you enjoy the clips, and thanks for watching... www.flickr.com/photos/jackdk/47856910012/in/album-72157697356617371/

[@anb7408]

Wheels squealing and crossties creaking. A MofW guy's worst nightmare! I'd love to know how often they had to replace the outside rails on that sharp curve. Ouch!

[@Greatdome99]

I was there in June 2019. To get there, you have two choices: park near the tunnel portal on the far side of the Tug Fork, and walk across the RR bridge--or take a very rough 7-mile gravel road alongside the tracks. It's interesting to note there's an old cemetery up the hill from here, most deaths dating from the early 1930s when the Buchanan Branch was built.

[@iceman977th]

Greatdome99 you can come in off Beech Creek Road, then it’s only 2-3 miles to the wye. Learned that the hard way..

[@1jackdk]

It isn't the easiest to get to. Maybe bringing a quad with yah. We was up in that cemetery on that hill. Took some pictures up in there. Very neat place. Thanks for watching.

[@michaelmcdougall4527]

Rockin very nice 🎩🎩

[@Chessie1985]

Awesome video Jack!!!!

[@chrisbeard5794]

The second train was moving pretty good going into the curve.

[@viperessprincess1012]

Jack..... you said ''not without permission''. So, I'm asking for your permission - to put this, and others of your VAST collection, in my private folder called ''Old Train Films''. Other people need their ''white-noise'' to sleep ---- I need my ''train noise'' to sleep. My grandparents [mother's side] lived at 27 Somerset Street, in Somerville, New Jersey -- where I was born -- and if you look on Google Maps, you can see just how close we were to the Raritan Valley line. I could hear the trains going by at night, and hear them shunting cars up and down from Bound Brook. Also, like everyone else has commented --- neat....nah. More like......AWESOME !!!!! this location is so cool !!! Tight curves, lines here-there-and everywhere, a Wye coming out of a hill/mountain. '' Ought - One '' ???? OUGHT to get down there to see this for real !!!! Thanks so much for posting. Lots of Blessings from Windsor Locks, Connecticut.

[@1jackdk]

Sure thing Sasha, permison granted for the sleep music. LOL You got to go down and witness that location sometime. Its awesome. A little tough to get in to, but worth it if you do. Strap on a backpack, load it with some food and drink, and make a day of it. We had to do some tree clearing to shoot from the mainline side in the middle of the Y just to see the tunnel. I'm sure its grown up again by now. Thanks for watching, and have a Blessed day...

[@snprout]

p.s. I drove a '76 Road Commode when I was doing the coast to coast thing back in the 70's. 350 Cummins, 13 spd 4:11 gears. It wasn't fancy, a little funky but it ran like a scalded dog. Old times! Nick

[@Steelers2841]

Excellent Video Jack. NS 184 and 185 Still Doing the Automotive Traffic between Toledo Homestead Yard and Norfolk where Ford Norfolk Plant was Still open till End of 2007 where the F150 were Built Now All F150'S are Built in Kansas City

[@1jackdk]

Thanks Derrick, glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for the HU on the 184 and 185.

[@amtrakseptaguy11]

Great capture this is one of the coolest lines NS has own, yet it is a bit treacherous to reach certain points by car.

[@1jackdk]

Thats for sure! Takes a little bit of work to get into a lot of places on the Pokey. Haven't been down there in years. But always enjoyed that division. I have hours and hours of this line. But there doesn't seem to be a big following for it. But maybe I should put more of these hard to get to places up. Thanks for watching...

[@jamesstallings2007]

Very Nice !!!

[@Hail2Pitt412]

Jack, great video. I'm surprised to see the new vader signals in at the junction here already as early as 2002 though.

[@1jackdk]

Thanks Ian. Yah, there was a lot of places they were already changing out the signals, and doing their tunnel clearance project as well. Thanks for watching...

[@АлександрМорозов-р1п]

Nice video.

[@AlexTrain5249]

That is one tight curve. I wouldn’t be surprised if some train derailed on that at some point because it was too tight for it

[@DouglasP201]

Awesome videos, that's some good stuff :D

[@rob066101]

I bet that is a high maintenance area from wheel flange rub.

[@1jackdk]

Oh boy! I wouldn't doubt that a bit.

[@DJMovit]

Curiousity, have you ever had to move when a train appeared on the track you were near or on? Like surprise! Here it comes! Just wondering...

[@1jackdk]

Nah. Never did. We would hear any movements on the radio. So we always knew when we had to be in the clear.

[@Pocaconductor22]

I know that place well.

[@BenAtPlay18]

Can you still get there?

[@Pocaconductor22]

@@BenAtPlay18 Yeah, hell of a road to get back in there though. I wouldn't advise it unless you are familiar with the area.

[@jstoli996c4s]

What part is 12 degrees?

[@1jackdk]

All of the curve that you see in the video is 12 degrees. Looking east past the signal it has a straight stretch to a tunnel, looking west, it goes into an S bed. Thanks for watching+

[@jstoli996c4s]

jackmp294.5™ so you’re referring to the steepness of the bank of the tracks, correct? Like the banking at an oval racetrack?

[@Greatdome99]

Radius of the curve. The angle (arc) of curvature for 100 feet of track. Most mains are no more than 10 degrees.

[@jstoli996c4s]

Greatdome99 thank you for the clarification!

[@straypacket]

Can anyone summarize the conversation between the female dispatcher and the engineer/conductor? It sounded like the dispatcher was trying be funny? It also sounded like the engineer/conductor did not think she was funny...