Coal via Potomac Yard

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Another possible destination for coal from Potomac yard was the Federal
steam plant at the DC end of the Potomac River Bridge.  It was located near
the Dept of Agriculture Building.  I don't know when they discontinued using
coal, or where they bought the coal, but I remember seeing hoppers there.

There was another steam plant in Georgetown served by the B&O branch line.
I suspect that there may have been other steam plants that used coal at some
point.

Ed Sproles

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: "James Foley" <james.foley at att.net>
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 2:13 AM
Subject: Coal via Potomac Yard


> To: "N&amp;W Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
> Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2005 03:11:34 +0000
> From: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
> Subject: Re: Coal via Potomac Yard
>
> I can't speak to N&W coal that might have been
> detoured off the Valley line, but I know that C&O coal
> moved up the Washington Sub to PY in the 1960s and
> '70s was destined for the Potomac Electric generating
> station in Alexandria, not for shipment north of the
> Potomac. The plant also burned N&W coal, but I don't
> know its routing.
>
> Bill McClure
>
>
> March 22, 2005
>
> Hello, Jim:
>
> Bill raises a good point.  Of course, there was also a
> carload or two every day or so to the Alexandria
> Electric Power Company 1 KW generating station on
> Union Street near the Wilkes Street tunnel.  I suppose
> that was the former WA&MtV Ry power source that sold
> some electricity locally to downtown before household
> juice was common.  I also expect that was N&W coal,
> although I suppose some of it could have been sourced
> from C&O-located mines and received in interchange at
> Potomac Yard?  Or at Orange, Virginia?
>
> GN&GM,
>
> Frank
>
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> Railway Mail Service Library, Inc.
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>
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