A linked article in the flimsies section focused on the Berkeley Hotel which also doubled as the railroad station. The story mentioned the roundhouse complex (across the tracks) and I wondered if anyone has seen it lately. Is there (or was there ever) a turntable inside the building a la Baltimore? What is the purpose of the restoration/renovation? Thanks.

Cagley Company Renovations
SJHussar@aol.com

Is there (or was there ever) a
> turntable inside the building a la
> Baltimore? What is the purpose of the
> restoration/renovation? Thanks.

There were two roundhouses; one was lost to arson a decade or more ago. They both had turntables a la Mount Clare; unlike Mt. Clare, the were built as locomotive roundhouses. I don't think the Berkeley County Roundhosue Authority has settled on a final use plan for the buildings yet, though for a long time some kind of performing arts center was the leading candidate.

This is a very long URL but if you cut and paste the whole thing you'll get a HABS/HAER image which shows one of the turntables--look through the door in the center. The resotration is pay-as-you-go; they have a lot of funds to raise and stabilization work to do before they need to settle on a final plan.

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/displayPh ... yProfile=0


eledbetter@rypn.org

Are there any photos of this facility (especially inside) that show it in use by locomotives? It would be especially interesting to see engines (of any era) on the internal turntables.

ryarger@rypn.org

> Are there any photos of this facility
> (especially inside) that show it in use by
> locomotives? It would be especially
> interesting to see engines (of any era) on
> the internal turntables.

None that I have ever seen, at Martinsburg or anywhere else. I suspect it was too dark in the interiors of these buildings for the emulsions of the day--we'd be talking wet-plate glass negatives and slow, slow emulsions.


eledbetter@rypn.org