pre electric operations

NW Mailing List nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Wed Jun 2 21:14:51 EDT 2010


The articles don't make it clear on how far the Bluefield mine runs actually ran or if the author was actually talking about the main line (which I assume he was) since it was about electrification.
Assume it is main line between Graham and Northfork. There is a wye at Northfork that serves Elk Ridge MIne and connects with Northfork Branch.

The mainline mines would be Coaldale, Turkey Gap at Ennis, Crozer next to Ennis, Upland and Houston across from each other, Powhatan and Lynchburg. With the exception of Coaldale, I believe everyone of those mines would be served by double ending sidings.

Lick Branch, Delta, and Norfolk-Angle would be served by single track. There was a wye at Elkhorn Coal & Coke up Barlow Hollow. Shamokin could also be served by double ended siding.

The spur for Lick Branch was facing westward if you are on eastbound track and branch line into Maybeury went eastward if you were on eastbound track, although at one time the tracks also ran eastward into Lick Branch from eastbound track.

Many tipples had delivery tracks that bypassed the loads and went to the empty storage tracks. Engines would push the emptys in, and than come back and pick up the loads.

On North Fork Branch, Algoma, Indian Ridge, Greenbrier, Cherokee and Crumpler would be at the end of the branch/spur. All of the other mines were on the main branch line and could have had double ended sidings.

Siding configuation often depended on location, but I would be inclined to say if the mine was not located on a stub spur, it had a double ended siding.

You should also remember that that was generally a company store siding at all of the mining locations an dmost of these were stub sidings.

Alex Schust
----- Original Message -----
From: NW Mailing List
To: 'NW Mailing List'
Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 2010 2:24 PM
Subject: RE: pre electric operations


Shoot, I was hoping your 'light bulb' would pop on. Doesn't matter.



Figure that the configuration was to put two locomotives- tender outward- on each end of the string of empties to be distributed. The locos are set so that the engineer can look outward and forward to brakemen on the ground by the coal cars and not have to look over the tender ( not slope-backed types). One loco and cars would work the west facing spurs and the other would work the east facing spurs to set off cars ( they don't have to worry about setting off specific cars in specific spurs) by pushing the cars in to the siding.. Using just one locomotive would require that some cars would have to be set off by a 'flying switch' when the switch points face the front of the train. Flying switches would be difficult to do if the siding has a significant uphill grade or length so that the cars would run out of momentum before they reach their desired location on the tracks.



Using one train for both east and west facing switches keeps just one train on the mainline for the dispatchers to work other trains around. Also two trains, one working the east facing switches and the second working the west would get in each other's way as they worked down the mainline and set off cars. The railroad would almost be forced to run one orientation in one shift and the other run the next shift.



Gary



From: nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org [mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 2010 6:52 PM
To: NW Mailing List
Subject: Re: pre electric operations



Gary,

I don't know. All I have are the old maps from the N&W RR Annual Reports showing roughly where the set out/pick up sidings left/entered the main. The only operation I am somewhat familiar with is Crumpler, and that one is probably a little unusual being located at the head of the "holler". If I 'member correctly, the empties were pushed past the tipple and stored until needed. When loading, a cut would have its brakes released (controlled) and travel by gravity under the tipple chutes at the required speed. When full, the cut would be stored on a siding below the tipple for pick up by the next run. Since there was no turn table or "Y" on the Northfork Branch, I assume that they backed the empties up and pulled the loads down with the loco running forward, but that's just supposition since I was too young to see steam working. I'm hoping someone more versed in the operational history of the Pokey can shed some light on how/why things worked.

Jim

----- Original Message -----

From: NW Mailing List

To: 'NW Mailing List'

Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 2010 3:57 PM

Subject: RE: pre electric operations



Jim: Which way are the switches pointed on the spurs and tipple tracks for set outs? Eastward or westward?



Gary Rolih

Cincinnati



From: nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org [mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
Sent: Saturday, May 29, 2010 7:00 PM
To: NW Mailing List
Subject: pre electric operations



I have been reading the electrification articles in the latest Arrow and have some questions about pre-electrification steam operations that I'm hoping some of you may clear up for me. First, on page 22, it states that empty deliveries to the mines would be handles out of Bluefield by two Mallets. "For obvious operating reasons these engines were necessarily run backwards on the westbound movement. The second engine was handled at the head end of the train for the purpose of permitting the better handling of the air brake down the 2% grade."

Well, like a lot of things in life, it aint "obvious" to me. The picture this paints in my mind is of one engine on the West (head?) end of the string of hoppers running tender first with another on the East end, also running tender first. Is this accurate? If so, why was this backward running advantageous? As to the better handling of the air, was this merely due to the fact that the line was being controlled from both ends of the train?

Next, the statement is made "At the first point where the delivery of empties was to be made, the second engine would be set around on the rear and the delivery of empty cars into all mine operating tracks would be made from this end of the train."

What does "set around on the rear" mean? Is the "rear" still the East end of the train? If so, does this put both engines on the East end now? Did the mines have separate delivery and pick-up tracks that were polarized? For example, did they always push empties into the delivery tracks from railroad East and pull loaded cuts out onto the main heading railroad west?



Thanks in advance for any help,

Jim Cochran

dcochran116 at roadrunner.com


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