Tug Fork Operations

[NW Mailing List]

Re: Engine direction/position in Tug Fork Branch movements, 1950-52

Generally...

Locomotives were dispatched facing upgrade when lacking the means and 
advantage to turn during the run.

1st Tug worked USS #6 and #9 (Filbert) up Sand Lick. 2nd Tug worked USS 
#13 on the way to #14 (Munson) up South Fork. Using 2000's, they pulled 
up the branches delivering empties, ran around, backed down with loads 
behind, ran around on the Tug Fork main below Gary, pulled up Sand Lick, 
then backed into the cleaning plant.

3rd Tug (aka Anawalt Mine Run) worked non-USS tipples up North Fork. 
Using a 2000 on the head end and a 1400 on the rear, it delivered or set 
off empties on the way up, mostly for Nassau and Page. It stopped at the 
junction with Ballard Harman Spur, cut so many empties ahead of the 
1400, it would shove up the spur to a switchback, then pulled up the 
hill to deliver Jenkinjones #8. The 2000 pulled forward up the North 
Fork with the remaining empties to a switchback, then shoved back up the 
hill to deliver Jenkinjones #7. Both crews pulled loads, the 1400 backed 
down the spur onto the North Fork with #8 loads behind, the 2000 crew 
backed down from #7 with loads ahead and coupled the train together. All 
backed down to Anawalt, turned on the wye, and proceeded forward down to 
Wilcoe Yard, collecting loads along the way.

4th Tug worked Havaco, the Main Line west to Mohegan and east to 
Superior after Eckman closed. It departed Wilcoe Yard with a 2000 (in 
reverse) and empties only for Havaco which was on a trailing-point spur. 
Loads were set off at Tug Storage if Farm was full/congested or if 
orders were to first head east (light with locomotive running forward). 
In either direction, usually main line tipples were worked with empties 
from the nearest storage tracks where loads were then set off. It pulled 
any Tug Fork freight setoffs at Hemphill and returned to Wilcoe Yard.

5th and 6th Tug were night jobs that worked much like 1st and 2nd. Any 
Tug job might help work the cleaning plant. Empty deliveries and loads 
back and forth between the cleaning plant and Wilcoe Yard were handled 
from the uphill (timetable west) end. Loads were pulled from the outlet 
tracks directly into Wilcoe Yard.

The Tug River Local worked east from Williamson three times a week to 
Wilcoe Yard. It pulled in with an 1100, turned, took their rest, and 
pulled out the next day.

Tug River Pool crews came east from Williamson with empties and a 2100, 
but sometimes stopped at Mohegan, traffic permitting, to wye the 
locomotive and pull in reverse to Wilcoe. The Wilcoe table had been 
taken out of service and turning on the Gary wye was not easy with the 
distance past the yard, hand-thrown switches, and mine crews everywhere. 
They took their rest and returned with west loads, pulling forward 
(doubling over however many times) out of Wilcoe Yard.

Elkhorn Pool crews with empties and a 2100 from Bluefield also had to 
consider where to turn, plus the switchback move at Tug. Depending on 
conditions, they would either hold a main or clear up in the middle 
track at Farm and then had three options: cut off, wye at Mohegan, run 
around their train, and pull forward up to Wilcoe; cut off, run around, 
and pull in reverse to Wilcoe; or simply shove in reverse to Wilcoe.

The return trip with east loads to Bluefield, plus a Pocahontas Pusher, 
had three similar options: they would pull forward out of Wilcoe down to 
Farm, cut off, wye at Mohegan, run around while the pusher got on the 
rear, and head east; pull in reverse out of Wilcoe Yard, run around at 
Farm while the pusher got on; or have the pusher get on at Wilcoe, all 
reverse to Farm, then forward towards Bluefield.

The preceding is based on oral histories and, regretfully, I have little 
information on the Tug Fork Passenger Run. Yes, there was no run around 
at Jenkinjones, so 156 backed to at least the Anawalt wye and there was 
no run around at Filbert, so 158 backed at least to the Gary wye. I 
understand it did back (engine on the rear) into Welch from Tug and 
photo evidence suggests that it backed out. There was a run around at 
the Welch station and the morning stop had plenty of layover to do so. 
By 1950, the second stop at Welch marked the end of the run.

As always, corrections, additions, and questions are most welcome. Hope 
this helps.

Grant Carpenter

On 1/9/2016 6:08 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:
>
> I have received a request about operations on the Tug Fork. I expect 
> members on the mailing list have firsthand knowledge and can provide 
> better information than I can. Any help is appreciated.
>
> Alex Schust
>
> *To:*Alex Schust
> *Subject:* Tug Fork Operations
>
> Alex -
>
> Can you provide any information concerning Tug Fork
> operations circa 1950-52 regarding the following:
>
> When trains ran backwards (in reverse) or when they
> pulled backwards by running around their consist.
>
> I assume on the the Sand Lick Branch (freight and
> passenger consists) this happened from Filbert to
> the Gary Wye at least.
>
> I assume on the North Fork Branch they ran backwards
> (freight and passenger consists) from Jenkinjones to
> the Anawalt wye.
>
> How was it done on the South Fork Branch from Munson
> (No. 14) to the USC&C Cleaning Plant at Gary.
>
> If the Cleaning Plant was fed by pushing cars onto the
> car dump lead, where did the run-around of the consist
> take place so the engine could get behind?  Thorpe siding?
>
> Regarding passenger operations, besides the two examples
> mentioned above (Sand Lick & North Fork),  and considering
> there was no wye (that I know of) at Welch, it appears that at
> least in one direction or the other passenger trains had to run
> backwards at least to the Wilcoe turntable.  Can this be true?
> The pictures I have seen show local passenger trains backed
> into the Welch station which would mean, assuming no wye,
> they would start off backing down the Tug Fork Branch.  They
> could get to the other end of the consist by running around at
> the first siding (Storage or Tuglum), but they would still be
> running backwards although pulling their consist at least to
> the Wilcoe yard.
>
> One other thing I am looking for information on is how the
> mine shifter that handled the North Fork keep the USC&C
> coal loads seperate from the Pageton, Jenkinjones & Nassau
> coal loads (ie. the coal going to the cleaning plant versus the coal
> going to the Wilcoe yard for export east or other destinations
> west).
>
> Any information or insight you can provide on these items would be
> greatly appreciated.
>
> By the way, I enjoyed Gary Hollow so much I bought a second copy for
> my aunt and uncle in Anawalt.  Also enjoyed Billion Dollar Coalfield as
> well as the NWHS Tug Fork Book.
>
> Thank you again, in advance, for any information you can provide.
>
>

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