Coal operations, vol 1

[NW Modeling List]

Dr. Shockley,

Ironically, "pure N&W" may help you share the joy with more friends and 
with less compromise. Where to begin. (I assume you have considered 
two-person crews.)

You mention mine runs. How many depends on the number of tipples and 
branch length--locate tipples along the entire branch and out on the 
main. Max out and total the daily load output of all tipples, divide by 
the load rating of a mine run and split up tipples into territories per 
mine run. Two mine runs can split the branch, upper (first job) and 
lower (second job), add a passenger run and you now have up to three 
crews on the branch line plus whatever it takes to work tipples along 
the main.

An empty hopper departs a terminal for the coalfields and returns as a 
load. This is often modeled using two identical mine runs, one each 
session. On the N&W, that could take up to seven(!) jobs, not including 
a possible layover in storage. You would need to add a storage location 
near the branch line junction that can be anything from one siding up to 
a small yard, but capacity for at least about half the daily output of 
the tipples it serves. Here, some road crews would set off empties from 
one direction and others would pick up loads for terminal yards in both 
directions.

Mine runs running light or with empties from the nearest terminal would 
pick up empties at the storage location, go work their territory, return 
to the storage location with loads they blocked at the tipple, set off 
the loads and run home light or with loads up to their load rating.

A tipple loading (only) raw coal would ship to another tipple, 
preferably in another mine run's territory, that can unload these 
"short" loads, process and reload the coal. This would require a setoff 
between mine runs at the storage location. Locate the tipple at a second 
storage location on the main and an additional movement by a main line 
job is required.

Grant Carpenter

On 10/29/2018 8:29 PM, NW Modeling List wrote:
> Does anyone have a coal operating layout that does more than haul coal 
> drags?  I try to envision running mine runs with a group of people and 
> I can come up with only one person pulling a train of empties up the 
> branch. I don’t have room for more than one branch. So I’m the one 
> person but I want to have people over to share the fun.
> Some do a great job of hauling coal but I think there may be 
> compromises on pure N&W described in books and these lists with the 
> desire to have friends over. Modelling is full of compromises, of course.
> How have others modeled coal mining operations? ie picking up loads 
> and dropping empties...etc
> Thank you,
>
> Mike Shockley

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