University of Virginia Library

ROANOKE RAILWAY AND ELECTRIC COMPANY

One of the important enterprises closely identified
with the progress and upbuilding of the city of Roanoke,
and which has kept pace with the city's rapid development,
assisting in the expansion
of its boundaries
and knitting together its
interests with those of
neighboring towns, is the
street car system operated
by the Roanoke Railway
and Electric Company.

STEAM POWER PLANT

The growing requirements of a population which increased
sixty-two per cent. in a decade have been
promptly met by this company by a general improvement
and enlargement of its system. To-day thirty
miles of track, including interurban lines extending
nine miles to Salem on the west and two and one-half
miles to Vinton on the east, as well as a mile or more in
South Roanoke, and a like distance to Norwich and
Raleigh Court in the Southwest, and beyond the city
limits, indicates the importance of the system.

During 1903 the Roanoke Railway and Electric
Company began revolutionizing the system. Everything
was made new. Old tracks with light rails were
torn up and heavier rails laid in all parts of the city.
At that time only seven cars were operated on schedule
over the entire system. This number has been gradually
increased to twenty regular cars, operating on
ten, fifteen, and twenty-minute schedules for all lines,
both within the city proper and on the interurban
lines.

Within the past five years several miles of extensions
have been built, including that from College Avenue
to Lake Spring in Salem; Franklin Road to and including
Fifteenth Avenue to Sixth Street, the Highland
line, the Belmont line, and the South Roanoke and the
Raleigh Court extensions. The equipment now consists
of thirty-five passenger cars, one freight car,
sprinkler car, snow sweeper, and a service car.

All cars are operated from a common center affording
quick schedules to every section of the city and to the
towns of Salem and Vinton, as well as the suburbs of
South Roanoke, Ghent, Virginia Heights, Grandin
Place, Raleigh Court, and Norwich.

The general office building is located on the corner
of Campbell Avenue and Randolph Street, Southeast.
It is a handsome three-story structure and is well
equipped for the purposes for which it is used.
The lower floor has a commodious waiting room for
passengers, and the general offices are located here,
besides the general electrical display and store room.
The second floor is used as headquarters for the lighting
and power department, and by the employees when
off duty. The part used by the employees is well equipped
for purposes of recreation and pleasure of motormen
and conductors during leisure hours.

Mountain Park with its splendid Casino Building,
located two miles south of the business center of the
city, is owned by the Company. During the summer
season high-class amusements such as comedy, opera,
vaudeville, and concerts are given; the park has a dancing
pavilion and an orchestra furnishes music afternoons
and evenings; it contains modern bowling alleys; a zoological
department where many native wild animals are
on exhibition; refreshment stands with an up-to-date
service; thousands of electric lights artistically arranged
together with rustic swings and seats, all making this a
most delightful place to spend an afternoon or evening.

Since 1903 a sum in excess of three-fourths of a
million dollars has been expended in improvements.
The Company has rebuilt more than half the entire
system, laying much heavier rails and double tracking
all of the business center, and much of the residential
section traversed by its lines. To-day there are more
than five miles of double track. In the meantime the
plant of the Roanoke Water Power Company was
purchased, thus giving to the enterprise additional
current to the extent of four thousand horse power.
The new power station was built with a generating
capacity of two thousand five hundred kilowatts.
This steam station was recently equipped with steam
turbines, which has doubled the power capacity from
two thousand five hundred kilowatts to five thousand
kilowatts. In order to keep fully abreast of the times,
and be able to at all times furnish sufficient motive
power for the running of cars, as well as being able to
supply cheap power for any manufacturing enterprise
and keep pace with the st