<div dir="ltr">Grant, Alex,<div>Was there a mine track starting from the Algoma tipple and running to the coaling station in North Fork (see attachment). When did this loco coaling operation end?</div><div>Jim Cochran</div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Wed, Dec 3, 2025 at 7:23 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"><u></u>
<div>
Jim,<br>
<br>
The Algoma tipple was located just below the upper switch such that
empties had to be shoved above there on the tail track that was the
delivery track, an extension of the (runaround) main track. Alex
notes the extension was 25 empties long as of 1925. Empties were
then dropped as needed from there into the three tipple tracks. The
tail track on your track chart snippet suffers from severe
foreshortening due to the nearby curvature schedule/chart, as shown
here:<br>
<br>
<div><img src="cid:ii_19ae430808a27d8e7b51" alt=""><br>
<br>
There were two spurs at Algoma. The one shown above just beyond
the upper switch was used for mine/tipple supplies and equipment.
Not shown above was the company store spur just below the outlet
(lower) switch, and was the destination for the occasional boxcar
I mentioned in the reply below.<br>
<br>
To deliver by pulling instead of pushing empties would enlist the
tail track and upper switch in a proper switchback move. Empties
would be pulled past the upper turnout, then switched back into a
delivery track below the turnout. So, the needed additional
feature is the 25-car delivery capacity that would have to be
added between the upper switch and the first tipple track switch.<br>
<br>
Grant Carpenter<br>
<br>
On 12/2/2025 7:58 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> The Buzzard Creek Branch was extended in
1899 to connect with the Crosby & Beckley logging RR's
wooden track that went over Indian Ridge to go down Pinnacle
Creek. The standard gauge portion of the extension was probably
left in place when the logging stopped in 1904. In 1914 the
N&W surveyed a route from Buzzard Creek along the old
logging RR right of way to connect with the proposed Guyandot
& Tug River RR coming down Pinnacle Creek.</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> <br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> In 1925 the Buzzard Creek Branch was
extended to hold 25 empties to accommodate the new Algoma
tipple. The stub track, which only held four cars, was put in at
the same time.</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> <br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> Alex Schust</div>
<hr style="display:inline-block;width:98%">
<div id="m_3396534482246070022divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size:11pt" color="#000000"><b>From:</b>
NW-Mailing-List <a href="mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces@nwhs.org" target="_blank"><nw-mailing-list-bounces@nwhs.org></a>
on behalf of NW Mailing List <a href="mailto:nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org" target="_blank"><nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org></a><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, December 2, 2025 7:44 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> NW Mailing List <a href="mailto:nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org" target="_blank"><nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org></a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: North Fork Hollow Mine Run</font>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div>
<div dir="ltr">Grant,
<div>More thanks than I can express for this information.
Your response contains lots of goodies, so I am going over
it several times to make sure I glean all I can, and am
going to respond one piece at a time to make sure I cover as
much as possible. Since Mike Rector, and perhaps others
that are following along, have not properly committed
themselves by fully memorizing the layout of North Fork
branch in all its archeological incarnations :^), I will
attach portions of track charts and possibly other diagrams
stolen, uh, I mean borrowed from <b style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><cite>North
Fork – Norfolk & Western Branch Line</cite></b>
by <span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-style:italic">Alex
Schust, Mason Cooper.</span> I would highly recommend
picking up a copy from the commissary, a steal at $28.</div>
<div>So now for my first (of many) questions, refer to
attached track chart snippet. Your message stated "Algoma
was at the end of the spur with no tail track to pull
past". The chart shows four tracks at the tipple, three of
which went under the structure I believe for loading while
the fourth was a bypass. The empties would have been stages
"above" the tipple for gravity loading. The chart shows the
"bypass" track extending a ways past the point where the
loading tracks converge on the uphill side, with a short
stub off a facing point turnout. So did the mine run push
all the empties up past this extension for storage? What
was the purpose of the stub spur? What additional features
would have been needed for a "tail track" that could have
allowed the run to pull the empties up instead of pushing
them?</div>
<div>As always, more to come,</div>
<div>Jim Cochran</div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<br>
<div>
<div dir="ltr">On Sun, Nov 30, 2025 at
6:48 PM NW Mailing List <<a href="mailto:nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org" target="_blank">nw-mailing-list@nwhs.org</a>>
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div>Jim,<br>
<br>
As if operations are not confusing enough, they varied and
evolved over the decade from the opening of the new
Elkhorn Tunnel to the end of steam. So by "headed West,"
that would be to the Eckman Yard table, with or without
loads, turn, then pick up loads and head east, if in the
same time period as when the mine run is still dispatched
from Eckman Yard.<br>
<br>
Regarding the North Fork Mine Run, I found this:<br>
<br>
Regarding your mines of interest, my info only goes back
to post-WWII. By then, the working tipples I heard about
were at Algoma, Gilliam, Rolfe, Ashland and Crumpler. <br>
<br>
The North Fork Hollow mine run was a daylight job out of
Eckman Yard. Dispatched facing upgrade, the regular power
was the 2023 with Cicero Sells as engineer, the senior man
at Eckman. <br>
<br>
An Elkhorn job out of Bluefield would set off empties the
night before on the storage tracks Elk Ridge (60 cars) and
North Fork (55 cars) adjacent to the branch line near
North Fork Junction. The mine run could bring more empties
from Eckman Yard or Byrd Yard in Northfork, as needed. <br>
<br>
The job was broken up into three round trips from the
junction up the branch: first to Algoma up the Buzzards
Creek Branch, then to Gilliam and Rolfe, then to Ashland
and Crumpler.<br>
<br>
Algoma was at the end of the spur with no tail track to
pull past, so empties were pulled off the junction-end of
the storage tracks while backing out onto the main line,
then shoved forward up the branch main track, then up the
spur. Loads came back to Byrd Yard. <br>
<br>
Gilliam and Rolfe were delivered by trailing point moves
from the main track, so empties were pulled up the branch
on this trip. The engine backed down with loads trailing
to Elk Ridge and swapped the loads for the remaining
empties.<br>
<br>
Like Algoma, Ashland and Crumpler were stub-end, but the
empties were pulled up the branch to Jones Siding, run
around there, then shoved ahead. Ashland was delivered
first, leaving the loads for pick up on the way back down
from Crumpler.<br>
<br>
Crumpler, aka Zenith, was steep with five, ten-car
delivery tracks that made it particularly tedious and
dangerous. With no radios to stop him, the rear brakeman
rode the drawhead and jerked the angle cock open to stop.
The middle brakeman made the cut while the rear brakeman
set brakes, watching for the next cut to get on and stop
them. Tipplemen, called "droppers", would help set brakes.
Every load had brakes on and if they were set out on the
main track, every brake had to be put back on.<br>
<br>
Loads were usually blocked at the tipples and both east
and west loads were set out on Elk Ridge and North Fork
storage tracks, the main track, or in the yard upon
returning to Eckman.<br>
<br>
The North Fork mine run became First Vivian out of
Bluefield when Eckman closed in 1951. "V1" would leave
Bluefield with a 2000 in reverse, a cab on the pilot, and
usually ran light. Empties were waiting on the Elk Ridge
and North Fork storage tracks and Byrd Yard as before, but
west loads were set off in Eckman Yard and it returned
with east loads. If it was running close on time (16
hours) or Bluefield was (usually) unable to take short
trains, the east loads were set off at Flat Top Yard and
it ran light on to Bluefield.<br>
<br>
Sometimes the daylight job put empties in at Algoma, but
the loads would store there until the night job could pull
them. Occasionally, North Fork/V1 would deliver Dan's
Branch, but time-slipped.<br>
<br>
Non-coal work included an occasional boxcar to the company
store at Algoma. 84 would set off refrigerator cars of
meat on the North Fork Middle Track about 1am every Monday
morning for the North Fork Passenger Run to spot at the
Wilson, Armour and Swift packing plants. After the
passenger run was cut off, V1 would get called early at
4am (usually 8am) to spot the cars.<br>
<br>
Grant Carpenter</div>
</blockquote>
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</blockquote>
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