J's coaling at Prichard WV

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Afton, Ohio is on the Cincinnati District at about MP C30.  Afton is at the
top of Batavia Hill and was set up as a doubling siding originally for
doubling Batavia Hill for eastbound traffic.  Originally Batavia Hill was
very steep (like 2-2-1/4%) which caused many accidents.  In the late 1890's
the Cincinnati, Portsmouth & Virginia rebuilt a new right-of-way up 4 Mile
Creek to reduce the grade.  This new line rejoined the old mainline at
Maywood, just west of Afton.  This new grade was 1.4%.

 

Afton had water and a coaling wharf in the teens and twenties plus a small
shed station.  

 

In later years, Afton had/has a small set of yard tracks to serve some
industries that had been built in or near Afton and serve as set off tracks
fro the local shifter. 

 

Gary Rolih

N&WHS

 

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From: nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org
[mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of
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Sent: Monday, September 25, 2006 12:12 AM
To: NW Mailing List
Subject: Re: J's coaling at Prichard WV

 

Harry,

Where exactly is Afton on the Columbus District?  Do you know the mile post?
I have never seen a photo of a coaling station or heard of one on the CD.

Thanks,

Jim Hall

nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org wrote:

Ron:

Roanoke to CUT without coaling ?  Maybe a presumption on my part.

Most districts had a main line coaling facility. On the Norfolk District,

Dwight HAD been a coaling facility at one time.  Blue Ridge District -

Phoebe,  Christiansburg  District - Vicker,  Poca -PD - Farm,  Kenova

District - Prichard, and Columbus District - Dorney.  Although Afton

on the Cincinnati District, had been a coaling facility, I don't see that

there was a coaling station there in the Scioto Division timetable from

1955.  It's 260 miles Roanoke - Prichard and with the engine assigned

to go through to CUT and NO main line coaling facility to the west, on
second

thought, maybe No. 4 DID make a scheduled service stop there.  That meant
that

with coal boards and topping off at Prichard westbound, the locomotive

had 328 miles to make before replenishing the supply.  Depending on

weather, experience,  tonnage, et al., maybe the "J" was expected to

get about 275-300 miles to a tank.

 

In N&W's cycle of "J" power, the engine assigned to No. 25 at Norfolk,

was slated to go through to CUT.  Never made it west of Bluefield

on No. 25, but the times I rode it, I don't remember a stop for coal at
Phoebe

or Vicker.  The next possibility was Farm - 388 miles.

 

In January 1943, an average of 27 trains per day took on 16,000 gals. of

water at Prichard (I have no records of coal), but apparently Prichard did

figure into a scheduled service stop for passenger trains.

 

Water ?  Probably topped off the tank during the station stops at Bluefield

and Williamson, there were standpipes located on the passenger 

platform where the engine was spotted.  One night on No. 26, the crew

received a bulletin order that the standpipe at Crewe was out of service.

They opted to top off at Phoebe. 

                                                             Harry Bundy

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