<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">Jim,<div>During my era of dispatching, the type of moves really varied from one coal operation to the next. We typically referred to the mine runs as “shifters”. A “turn crew” was usually a mainline crew that was designated as a “one day job” which meant that regardless of where they went on a train or in a taxi they would terminate back in their original home terminal at the end of their shift.</div><div><br></div><div>Regarding the directional status of locomotives, during my career the setup of a consist to have a short hood in each direction became more and more an expectation. I didn’t have too many mine operations that were worked with a single locomotive in a traditional “deliver empties then pull loads” operating plan. </div><div><br></div><div>At the operations where this was the case, most crews would choose to handle empties with long hood lead and the much heavier loads coming back out with short hood lead on their engine for better visibility. If the operation happened to be near a “wye”, it was not uncommon to turn the engine after delivering empties before pulling the loads to maintain a short hood lead for any move where they were handling cars. </div><div><br></div><div>My guess is that turning the engine like this was much less prevalent in the eras of steam and high hood diesels with dual controls. I’m interested in what Grant’s input will be on this for the steam era. </div><div><br></div><div>Thank Ya’n Out,</div><div>Chris Dalton </div><div>Bluefield, WV</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPhone</div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">On Nov 17, 2025, at 11:26 AM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org> wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"><div dir="auto">Jim,</div><div dir="auto">Only one engine. If there was no way to turn the engine for the return trip, the engine ran backwards out of the terminal.</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Jimmy Lisle</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div id="composer_signature" dir="auto"><div style="font-size:14px;color:#909090" dir="auto">Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone</div></div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div><br></div><div align="left" dir="auto" style="font-size:100%;color:#000000"><div>-------- Original message --------</div><div>From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org> </div><div>Date: 11/17/25 9:07 AM (GMT-05:00) </div><div>To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org> </div><div>Subject: loco motions </div><div><br></div></div><div dir="ltr">
<p style="margin-bottom:0in">If I am remembering correctly the
things I have read heard in the past indicate that a mine servicing
run (was this called a turn?) in the part of the Pokey in which I am
most interested, would begin with a train comprising a string of
empty hoppers sandwiched between a couple locomotives, one of which
was facing West while the other faced East.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in">From my meager understanding, there
were two typical track arrangements for tipple sidings. They both
began with a turnout off the main line followed by additional
turnouts whose number varied according to things like the number of
sized of coal produced, storage track configuration, run-around
track, re-connection to the main, etc.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in">In one example, a coal operation would
have only one turnout on the main. This would necessitate one of
locomotives with a cut of empties to cut off from the rest of the
(?turn/job/movement?) and move the empties into
the mine trackage. Did the rest of the train remain on the main in
the rain blocking other traffic? Also, was there a preference for
whether the servicing unit proceeded moving forward or in reverse for
this part of the operation? If there were no run-around track at the
mine, the locomotive would have to push his empties past the tipple
for gravity feeding purposes, cut them loose after sufficient brakes
had been set, move back down to where this mine's loads had been
stored, couple up, move this string down to the main, reattach to the
rest of the turn and move on down to the next operation.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in">This account contains much conjecture
on my part, and my purpose is to learn how things really worked such
as when those locomotives were run forward and when they ran in
reverse along with other specifics of the operations along my most
beloved portion of the Pokey.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in">If this is of interest to others or I
get response (Grant, hint, hint), I will follow up with additional
questions and conjecture.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0in">Jim Cochran </p></div>
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