[N&W] Re: RE: Coal on the Powhatan Arrow??

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Mr Crocker,

You can trust what I say about the autoparts cars on the passenger trains.
It was not a regular event so I believe that these were emergency movements
to avoid assembley line shutdown  where N&W had a speical interest in giving
"super service", either because of missed connection or a special movement
for "sales reasons" (and the resultin extra tariff charges). But, I did see
a number of such movements at Coal Grove, OH.

Surely, someone can track down record and I would feel that someone had to
had taken a photo of such an unusal movement.

Yours,

Oakie Ford
IRONTON, OH

 > I can't say about train #25 or 26 (Powhatan Arrow) but I worked the Pier Job
 > at Lamberts Point off and on from 1968 through 1971 which broke down #4 and
 > made up #3 (The Pocahontas) daily. I never saw any type car on these
 > passenger trains other than normal head end cars, coaches and business cars.
 > If hoppers or freight cars were tagged on the rear of #4 they were taken off
 > at Portlock Yard as none were ever on the train while at Lamberts Point
 > Station, nor were any freight cars put on #3 when I was part of the crew
 > making up this train. Also, I saw these trains going by Portlock many times
 > when I would be working that yard but never saw them stop for any reason.
 > Obviously, I can't say if cars were removed when I wasn't on duty at 
Portlock.
 >
 > I might add that a good friend of mine, Benny Weatherford, who was the
 > engineer on #3, from Norfolk to Crewe, never said a word about hauling
 > anything other than the usual coaches, etc. and he surely would have as he
 > didn't like to stop to set off anything unless he was running a hot shot
 > freight or one of the time freights.
 >
 > L.W. Crocker