Jenkinjones

[NW Mailing List]

Mr. Lewis,

Depending on the time frame, Jenkinjones could include three tipples: 
Pocahontas Nos. 6, 7 and 8, and each with its own switchback. Nos. 6 and 
7 shared the same tail track, the end of the branch line that ran south 
up the east side of the hollow. No. 6 was higher up on the east side and 
No. 7 was on the west side, across the hollow from the company store. 
No. 8 was about a mile back down the hollow where Ballard Harmon Spur 
split off. The spur crossed the hollow on an impressive timber trestle 
and headed up Ballard Harmon Branch (the creek) to a switchback thence 
back towards the hollow and the tipple.

Operation was unique and after the war, No. 6 was gone, but 7 and 8 were 
quite productive. Third Tug, aka The Anawalt Mine Run, worked up the 
North Fork of the Tug Fork with two engines--a Class Y3 on the head end 
and a Class Z1b on the rear. With empties between them, they stopped at 
Yantic Junction and the Ballard Harmon Spur, cut their train in two, the 
head end continued on to No. 7 and the rear-end crew threw the switch 
and shoved over the trestle (the reason for the lighter engine) to 
deliver No. 8. On their way up, the head-end crew would drop the LCL box 
car in the vicinity of the station and company store to be picked up on 
the way back down.

When finished, both crews would ease loads down to the junction and 
reassemble with the Class Z1b on the downhill end. They backed down to 
Anawalt, turned the train on the wye and proceeded forward towards 
Wilcoe Yard. There were no inbound short loads to No. 7 at this time and 
most outbound loads were Tidewater steam coal. Hauling short loads of 
raw coal started in the 1970s from Maitland and off Dry Fork when first 
Crane Creek (off Bluestone Branch) and then Pageton (below Jenkinjones) 
closed. No. 8 closed in the 50s and No. 7 lasted into the 1980s.

For more details, check out Alex Schust's and Mason Cooper's /Tug Fork 
/volume in the NWHS N&W Branch Line series.

Grant Carpenter

On 4/18/2021 1:16 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:
> Am I correct that there was a switchback to get to Jenkin Jones?  Is there a detailed description of how the N&W operated there?  How many cars would fit on the switchback lead?  Lastly where was the tipple in relation to the company store?  I’ve see pictures with a track on the left (up hill) side of the building.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Tom Lewis
>

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