Long trains rollin'

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

I was there, but don't recall the date, just a hot summer day.. Alongside
the double main at Coal Grove, OH. It was something else, 500 loads of WV
coal with ( I recall) 3 sets of power, front, midtrain and rear. I timed it
and it took 13 minutes and 33 seconds to clear the Ford Brothers (trucking)
crossing. What they did with it after arriving in Portsmouth, OH yard I
don't remember. On thing, they didn't try it again.


Oakie G. Ford
IRONTON, OH



----- Original Message ----- 
From: <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Friday, August 04, 2006 4:57 PM
Subject: Long trains rollin'



> August 4, 2006

>

> So, Harry, who set the tonnage ratings to begin with?

> Was the methodology used strictly engineering-derived,

> or did it follow the operating department's approach:

> add-cars-until-the-traction-motors-smoke-or-a-knuckle-busts?

>  I recall a 1960s Railway Age that proclaimed how the

> N&W had operated an unbelievably long train --perhaps

> 3-1/2 miles?  Does anyone else recall that event?

>

> Good afternoon,

>

> Frank Scheer

> f_scheer at yahoo.com

>

>

> About 15 years ago, the Vice President-Mechanical had

> to complete a study on how the department's assets

> were used.  He elected to show the horsepower per ton

> assigned to 1- TOFC trains 2- Merchandise

> trains 3- Hopper trains,  4- locals, and 5- coal

> trains.  In developing this statistic, it became

> apparent that Bluefield and Roanoke were regularly

> dispatching coal trains as much as 1800 tons over the

> tonnage rating.  Bear in mind that both Bluefield and

> Roanoke knew the tonnage being dispatched, but

> apparently ignored the instructions in the timetable.

> It was brought to the attention of the Operating

> Dept.  Within a year, the Operating Department

> arbitrarily raised the tonnage ratings by 10%.

>

> Harry Bundy

>

>

>

>

>

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