more on Abingdon Branch pax cars

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Rick - 

In all my rides with my Grandfather on the express part of the combine on the Branch I remember riding arch-roof combine # 11 and later the #10.  The coach 704 was up there for years.  I don’t know why they would ever have three “passenger” cars on the branch, since they never filled up the 704 that I know of.  the 1600s came later.

With an M only good for 325 tons up to White Top it seems odd that they would have three “passenger” cars since they soaked up about 30 or 35 tons each.

- Ed King

From: NW Mailing List 
Sent: Friday, May 15, 2020 10:55 PM
To: NW Mailing List 
Subject: more on Abingdon Branch pax cars

Here are photos from 1957 of the Abingdon branch mixed at Green Cove.  M 396 was the subject of the photographer, but I was able to determine that the postal-baggage is BMg 10 and the coach is Pg 1600. 1600 and 1601 were the only Pg coaches in 1957 which had coal stoves for branch line service.  Number 10 was the last BMg set up for US Mail service (1961-62 drawing).  There are photos in books of a Ph coach on 201-202, evidently as a substitute car.  I could only find that of the Ph class, only 703 and 704 listed as "not air conditioned" on a 1952 drawing.  As for when two cars were replaced by a combine, I would date that from when the US Mail contract ended.  Can anyone fill in that date?  There is a photo in Ferrell's book, page 173 of  the train with a combine which looks to be a BPe.  Somethng else is curious in the photos.  Does it look like there is enough space between the head end car and the coach for another car? If you have Link's "Last Steam Railroad in America" on page 78 there are three passenger cars in the consist.

When I acquired these negatives 30 years or more ago, I had only printed one.  I was always curious what the cans or barrels on 396's pilot deck were.  Look at the other two  photos and figure out what that was all about.  The photographer was W. Raymond Hicks.  I bought all 20 or so of his N&W negs.  He was from Maryland and his B&O and WM negatives numbered in the hundreds.

--Rick Morrison



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