<div dir="ltr">Thanks Jimmy and Chris,<div>Jimmy thanks for the album picture. This causes me to ask how the run consist changed as deliveries/pickups were made. At first, it was all empties sandwiched between headend and rear end locos. As they picked up loads, did they put them between the locos with the remaining empties, or did they stick them on one end or the other.</div><div>Also, how did the movements differ when a coal operation had two switches off the main (? a siding?)? First the whole movement might be able to clear the main which would help the flow of traffic, and Second, it seems like fewer movements might be required to make the needed drop offs and pick ups. Was less reverse running involved in servicing operations with this type of track configuration?</div><div>I assume that running a locomotive in the forward direction was/is safer than running it in reverse due to visibility and perhaps other factors that I am ignorant of. So this whole discussion is perhaps about how reverse movements were minimized during these operations. Or did it matter that much? Did they just do what was most expedient to get the empties in and the loads out?</div><div>Thanks again,</div><div>Jim Cochran</div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Tue, Nov 18, 2025 at 9:40 AM NW Mailing List <<a href="mailto:nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org">nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="auto"><div dir="auto">Jim,</div><div dir="auto">Note the illustration on the liner notes of Link's "2nd Pigeon and the Mockingbird" album (note smoke direction!)</div><div dir="auto"><img height="76" width="359" name="m_-622851218298287376_storage_emulated_0_DCIM_Camera_20251118_092746_jpg_1763476451345" src="cid:ii_19a97adf69754825dda1" id="m_-622851218298287376HEV1763476451345"></div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Also, there is a video out there, I don't remember which one, showing the backward running.</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="m_-622851218298287376composer_signature" dir="auto"><div style="font-size:14px;color:rgb(144,144,144)" 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:rgb(0,0,0)"><div>-------- Original message --------</div><div>From: NW Mailing List <<a href="mailto:nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org" target="_blank">nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org</a>> </div><div>Date: 11/17/25 9:07 AM (GMT-05:00) </div><div>To: NW Mailing List <<a href="mailto:nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org" target="_blank">nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org</a>> </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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