RE: 1950’s Pokey Farm question #1

[NW Mailing List]

Chris,

Regarding the attached Company track plan, the graphics are correct, but 
a label is incorrect. The second track under the coaling tower, adjacent 
to the Westbound Main, was Westbound Storage. The east switch was at the 
east end of the Middle Track just short of the middle signal of three 
adjacent eastward signals, aka "The Three Sisters." Local/mine runs 
could set off here from either main without blocking access to the 
coaling tower.

The west switch was near the east/upper outlet switch (of two on the WB 
Main) for the tipple at Caples. Here the WB Storage diverged and 
returned to the Middle Track and to the WB Main. As a result, west loads 
were easy to set over from outlet to storage if Caples was getting full. 
Local/mine runs could set off west cars and River crews could fill out 
here while on either the WB Main or the Middle Track. All four switches 
were hand-throws and the track was dark.

In addition to west coal loads and empty westbound freight cars, empties 
for Caples were set off here, and for Huger when Huger Middle was full.

Although the WB Storage Track was routed underneath the coaling tower 
and had access to water and a dedicated sand spout, it apparently was 
not used as a service track. It was a storage track, so access was from 
the near end only, and coal was not available. Movements in and out 
would have to deal with a lock on a hand-thrown switch, plus a 
pipe-actuated derail uncomfortably close to the standpipe that otherwise 
serviced the WB Main.

Grant Carpenter

On 9/4/2023 5:12 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:
> Page 9 from Arrow Article on Farm shows track layout.
>
> Alex Schust
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NW-Mailing-List [mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List
> Sent: Sunday, September 03, 2023 8:43 PM
> To: NW Mailing List
> Cc: NW Mailing List
> Subject: 1950’s Pokey Farm question
>
> Greetings to All,
>
> During my lifetime and dispatching career on the Pokey the track layout at Farm (listed north to south) has always been Main 2 (wb main), Middle Track, #2 Storage, #1 Storage and Main 1 (eb main).  The current track configuration has only the Middle Track running directly under the coaling tower.  I’ve noticed in pictures from August Thieme, William Gordon and a drawing from Louis Newton that in the 1950’s two tracks ran directly under the coaling tower.  Can any of you guys elaborate on the 1950’s track configuration and how it was used?
>
> Thank Ya’n Out,
> Chris Dalton
> Bluefield, WV
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