In the 1920's and 1930's Norfolk & Western cast these heavy signs in the railroad's Roanoke Shops. Made of scrap iron it has far less the ingredients it should have to make it a strong piece of cast iron, but it was inexpensive to make. This 55 pound sign was a gift and I was told by the donor that it came from N&W's Bluestone Branch which was a coal mine branch of about twenty miles, reaching from the mainline at Bluestone to a connection with the Virginian Railway at Matoaka and on to Giatto. My sign had been broken many years ago and repaired by the railroad by bolting a piece of iron across the top on the back side. I had it welded on the back by a skilled craftsman and I chose to not sand it clean and repaint it to new condition. I feel the crack in the cast iron and the peeled paint attest to the age and character of the piece. November 2010
