Switchback Mine Run on Elkhorn Branch ca.1940s

[NW Mailing List]

Jim,

Alex questioned the existence of a wye at the junction in Maybeury and 
did a great job of proving a negative, leaving me unable to find the 
evidence I thought I had.

Grant Carpenter

On 4/24/2022 11:02 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:
> Jim,
>
> In this period leading up to the Elkhorn realignment, other changes 
> were occurring: tipples closed, traffic changed, Traffic Control 
> expanded and so forth. I'm not sure of the chronological order of 
> details here and most will relate to the run's last years.
>
> Based at Eckman Yard, the Switchback Mine Run was a day job that 
> worked the main line east from Keystone up to Switchback. Regular 
> motive power was the Class Y3 No. 2005, dispatched facing 
> upgrade/east. Empties for the branch were picked up en route at 
> Morgan, about two miles west of Switchback. Westbound Elkhorn jobs 
> would set off empties there on two storage tracks next to the 
> westbound main. The mine run could access them via a local, 
> hand-thrown crossover from the eastbound and would couple them ahead 
> of the 2005.
>
> At one train a day, the junction at Switchback didn't rate a 
> signal--just a hand-thrown, facing-point switch on the eastbound main. 
> Like the local crossover at Morgan, the switch had an electric lock 
> that was controlled by the operator at Bluestone Tower. Permission was 
> sought by phone in a line-side box at the junction. Another line-side 
> box held a register book for the conductor to register on the branch 
> and off when leaving.
>
> Empties were shoved around the tipple(s) to the delivery tracks 
> beyond, then loads were pulled from below and blocked for east and 
> west. Tonnage declined as the three old mines on the branch were 
> worked out. According to Alex in /Billion Dollar Coalfield/, Shamokin 
> Colliery closed in 1941 and Elkhorn Colliery in 1944, leaving Angle 
> (Norfolk) Colliery to hang on into the 1950s. I believe the third leg 
> of the wye through downtown Maybeury was taken up before the wye you 
> mentioned at Elkhorn Colliery, so closing Elkhorn removed any means of 
> turning the 2005. Backing out to return home might have reduced 
> tractive effort, but that was offset by the decline in tonnage. Also, 
> there was the speed restriction for backing moves, but that was raised 
> in later years.
>
> Then there was the lack of signaling both at the junction and on the 
> main. To come off the branch headed west on the eastbound main with no 
> westward signals was slow running. Later, bidirectional TC would help, 
> but that was somewhat offset when the Powhatan Arrow began service. 
> Depending on the schedule, the mains cleared for Nos. 25 and 26 to 
> meet in this area every mid-afternoon. This was on top of the base 
> load of traffic. For example, before the relocation reduced it, the 
> eastbound ruling grade was two percent, so heavy eastbounds were 
> shorter, more frequent, and rated both pushers and helpers on short 
> cycles (i.e., slow eastbounds and lots of westbound light moves). At 
> least with extras, operators could hold traffic windows open during 
> the day for local jobs to work.
>
> After getting permission from Bluestone, coming out onto the eastbound 
> main set the mine run up to proceed west to the Crozer tipple across 
> the main from Morgan. From the eastbound main, east loads were set off 
> in the tipple's runaround for pickup by eastbound Elkhorn crews. West 
> loads were then shoved across the local crossover to the storage 
> tracks at Morgan where the empties had been pulled earlier. Westbound 
> Elkhorn and (later) River crews forwarded the loads to Eckman/Kimball 
> and Williamson, respectively.
>
> If the eastbound main was busy, Crozer was skipped and the east loads 
> went on to Eckman. If the westbound was busy, Morgan was skipped and 
> the west loads went to Eckman. If time got tight on both mains, the 
> Eckman operator tried to keep the Powhatan Middle Track open for them 
> to clear up.
>
> Edits and questions are welcome--I hope this helps.
>
> Grant Carpenter
>
> On 4/18/2022 8:35 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:
>> Does anybody have any insight into operations at Switchback prior to 
>> the late '40s realignment?  Coal loads would have to be rounded up 
>> from the Angle branch, Shamokin and Elkhorn and then brought up to 
>> the main West of the power house.  But how was the traffic 
>> controlled?  I haven't seen any photos showing signals to stop either 
>> mainline or mine movements.  How did they insure the main was clear 
>> when they came up?  Also, if they "pulled" up from the bottom, the 
>> movement would be pointed West.  Where did they go for assembly?  Did 
>> everything go West to Byrd at North Fork or even on to Ecklmann?  Any 
>> and all thoughts will be appreciated.  Not to name names, but I'm 
>> hoping Mr. Grant might chime in on this one and perhaps Professor 
>> Schust.
>> Thanks,
>> Jim Cochran
>
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