more on Abingdon Branch pax cars

Sat May 16 16:47:50 EDT 2020

Rick,

Thanks for sharing these wonderful photos!

Jim Brewer

On Sat, May 16, 2020 at 12:48 PM NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
wrote:

> My vision is not good enough for me to make out the items on the 396.  I
> know that they had a bucket of heavy "dope" (grease) that the engineer
> used
> to apply to the hub liners of the leading truck at West Jeff; he used a
> paddle for this.  This bucket was carried on the pilot beam area.
>
> The 396 was the least favorite engine for the Branch because it didn't
> have
> a superheater like the 382 and 429.  Engine crews disliked the 396
> heartily.
>
> - Ed King
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NW Mailing List
> Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2020 7:23 AM
> To: NW Mailing List
> Subject: Re: more on Abingdon Branch pax cars
>
> I think they are buckets to carry sand, as there was no place along the
> branch to service the locomotive other than water in the latter days.
>
> The box under the running board, haven’t a clue, it appears on the 396,
> but
> not 382, perhaps Ed King can chime in on that. Perhaps a storage box to
> carry extra oil/grease, as like the sand, no place to service on the
> branch?
> Merely speculation, of course.
>
> According to several sources, the mail and passenger service was
> discontinued in Virginia as of May 20, 1962. North Carolina however made
> it
> last a bit longer, until November 1963.  BMg No. 10 was the last of those
> remaining, retired and sold for scrap in September 1963. By the end of
> service in Virginia, I feel certain that the combine was all that the
> train
> carried after May 20, 1962 and the combine was placed in to handle the few
> remaining passengers.
>
> Very nice photos Rick, thanks for sharing.
>
> Ken Miller
>
> > On May 16, 2020, at 5:20 AM, NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List
> > <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
> >
> > Rick,
> >
> > Thanks for sharing those neat pictures. I don't know what those round
> > cannisters or cans are. What is the box under the running board above
> the
> > crosshead area?
> >
> > Roger Huber
> > Deer Creek Locomotive Works
> >
> >
> > On Saturday, May 16, 2020, 04:11:08 AM CDT, NW Mailing List
> > <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
> >
> >
> > 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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