Blackford Turn Re: Stock movements

[NW Mailing List]

Brent,

The Blackford Turn ran two to three times a week, most often on Fridays, 
but made only a few runs in the winter and the hot part of the summer. 
With no more than about six cars, loads included sheep.

Grant Carpenter

On 12/6/2025 7:29 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:
> Thanks again, that is all amazingly helpful for me. One last follow-up 
> on this topic; how frequently were the cattle shipped out from the 
> Blackford turn?
>
> Brent
>
> Dr. J. Brent Greer
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org> on behalf 
> of NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
> *Sent:* Friday, December 5, 2025 10:17:49 PM
> *To:* nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
> *Subject:* Stock movements
> Brent,
>
> I'm not that familiar with the traffic pattern, rules and regs on 
> stock moves. Regarding mules, they were shipped from the Midwest in 
> foreign-road stock cars and surprisingly late, into the mid-1950s. 
> First 84 often had a stock car or two on the head end that might 
> include hogs for Elliston.
>
> The stockyard in Bluefield was on the north side of East Yard just 
> east of the coal wharf. Stock cars close on their time limit were 
> switched over to the pens to unload, rest, feed, water, and reload 
> cattle and hogs.
>
> Yes, there was the Blackford Turn out of Bluefield to Honaker on the 
> Clinch Valley. In Bluefield, #85 would be held for hours waiting for 
> Blackford stock loads to be cut in on the head end.
>
> Grant Carpenter
>
> On 12/4/2025 10:09 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:
>> Thanks Grant!   Can you tell us a little more about the handling of 
>> mules?  How often and where did these get shipped from/to?  Did they 
>> arrive in N&W stock cars or did they come in off-line cars?
>>
>> We frequently hear about the cattle extra out of Honaker, but I've 
>> not really heard much about how those operated, or what other points 
>> on the N&W may have had stock pens for either shipments or 
>> deliveries.  Do you have any first hand knowledge about any of these?
>>
>> Brent
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> /Dr. J. Brent Greer/
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
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