Refrigerator cars Re: Another Northfork operational question

[NW Mailing List]

Matt,

In a word, yes, but can't seem to keep these to one-word 
answers/guesses/speculation/bs, so here goes. . .

Bluefield men handled time freights to Williamson; out one day, back the 
next, then off a day, and this would evolve through the 1950s into 
interdivsional runs later. Williamson crews, specifically Tug River 
crews, handled second sections, as needed. If the tardy refrigerator 
cars were chasing #84, having missed connections at Cincinnati or 
Columbus, when they arrived in Williamson on whatever train, they were 
hustled to the head end of whatever was the next train to make 
Eckman/Bluefield. Their "hotness" did not rate a passenger train due to 
the unscheduled delay of setting off the cars; however, a coal train of 
160 loads and a pusher could rate, along with the pay bump.

Grant Carpenter

PS "Hotness"? On THIS List? Never would've imagined.


On 12/6/2025 3:55 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:
> Grant, this comment about the placement of onsie-twosie late reefers 
> is interesting, and reminds me of some similar-ish feedback I got from 
> someone on this list about stockcar placement by mainline crews 
> (instead of local / shifter crews) due to “hotness”.
>
> I have one clarifying question though. You said:
>
> “if they missed their connection with 84, then it was Second 84 or the 
> next eastbound, period.”
>
> If there was not a Second 84 that day, did the “next eastbound” 
> inherit that symbol in order to get the benefit of movement required 
> by the hot load?
>
> As others have said previously, some of us really appreciate these 
> memories and experiences (and thanks to Jim for asking the questions 
> that prompted these)
>
> Matt Goodman
> Columbus, Ohio
>
>> On Dec 4, 2025, at 10:05 AM, NW Mailing List 
>> <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
>>
>> Brent,
>>
>> Yes, Armour and Wilson were behind the station and shared a 
>> facing-point spur off of the EB main. Swift was located just across 
>> the creek on a trailing-point spur off of the EB main. Given the 
>> opposing switch moves, the shifter crew had to get ahead or behind 
>> the appropriate cars on the middle track of a busy main.
>>
>> Usually, the mine run was called early to handle just the 
>> refrigerator cars before starting their run. The cars were considered 
>> "hot" out of Chicago and Cincinnati and if they missed their 
>> connection with 84, then it was Second 84 or the next eastbound, 
>> period. This could result in "Second 84" being your coal train with 
>> refrigerators on the head end (See p.125, /The Norfolk and Western... 
>> As I Knew It!/, August A. Thieme).
>>
>> With a trailing point move, the cars were set off on the North Fork 
>> Middle Track close to all three packing houses there in Northfork. 
>> The Night Mine Run, the North Fork Hollow Passenger Run, or the North 
>> Fork Hollow Mine Run would spot the cars, depending on when the cars 
>> were set off and which job was available. Men would be waiting on the 
>> docks to unload the cars. Subject to high demurrage, they were picked 
>> up in less than eight hours and either taken to Bluefield by the Farm 
>> Local for the next westbound freight or (later) were moved to the 
>> nearest pickup point (Eckman Yard) for a River crew to take back west 
>> in a coal train. This is the only case of expedited freight by coal 
>> train on the Division that I'm aware of beyond some LCL or mules on 
>> mine runs.
>>
>> Grant Carpenter
>>
>> On 12/2/2025 10:23 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:
>>> I've seen a few photos of meat reefers at the head end of coal 
>>> trains on their way to/from Northfork. I understand that there were 
>>> at least 2 meat packing facilities in Northfork itself and that they 
>>> shared a siding.
>>>
>>> How were these cars handled on the branch?  I hope Grant can detail 
>>> the process of how the cars were received, spotted, 
>>> returned/forwarded in Northfork.
>>>
>>> Sincere thanks,
>>> Brent
>>>
>>> Dr. J. Brent Greer
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