VGN Morri Branch

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Ben:
Construction on the Morri Branch started in  1937-38. Factors
that may have influenced beginning traffic control at 
Oceana:
 
1- The junction of Huff Creek Branch is between Oceana  and
    Plunkett.
 
2-  In VGN times, Plunkett was a only passing  siding.
 
3-  Researching timetables indicates that although the  Guyan-
     dotte River Branch had been CTC'ed in VGN  times, it
     was 1972 before CTC was extended  from Simon Jct. to
     Oceana.  By that time, the Hours of  Service Law had been
     reduced from 16 hours to 12 hours.   In  VGN times, crews
     could run from Elmore to  Kopperston and return in 16 
     hours.  With the coming of unit  trains, Plunkett became 
     more prominent.  A "River Crew" would  ferry the mtys
      Elmore to Kopperston, then return to  Plunkett to take
      rest.  A Plunkett crew would  run to Kopperston to pick
      up the mtys, pull them through  the loader, triple the
      loads out, then return to  Plunkett for the off-duty "River
      Crew" to relay to Elmore.  The  absolute signals at the
      east end of Plunkett gave the  dispatcher the flexibility
      of determining which train got to  arrive/leave Plunkett
      first . . . . . and it gave him an  O.S.  Plunkett didn't have
      an  operator.  
                                              Harry Bundy   



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