Re: 1950’s Pokey Farm question #2

[NW Mailing List]

Has anyone on the list modeled, or contemplated modeling, this scene?
There is a lot of interesting stuff for a mainline scene, with a little bit
of switching, too.
Mike Rector

On Fri, Dec 1, 2023 at 6:23 PM NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
wrote:

> Mike,
>
> Great choice of shots to dovetail with Chris Dalton's query. At first
> glance, the Bill Gordon shot appears to be an eastbound pulling out of the
> Middle Track onto the WB Main, given another eastbound is holding that
> main. The Class Y6b and an auxiliary tender would suggest a Weller
> (Bluefield) or River (Williamson) crew and pusher who have stopped to cut
> tonnage and service their engines. They would ease up to the crossover at
> Hemphill such that the rear clears this signal and their pusher can get
> back on for the trip up to Bluefield – typical for Farm.
>
> However, a closer look would suggest this is the local mine run, by this
> time, First AB4 out of Auville. The engineman is looking to the rear as if
> backing loads into WB Storage. As I recall, Gordon's time frame in this
> area was late steam when Y6b's and auxiliary tenders were relegated to mine
> runs.
>
> This also illustrates why loads are blocked at the tipple to minimize time
> on the main to set them off.
>
> In the Archive image, the smaller, square coal chute is on the WB Main and
> appears to be a vintage Link-Belt chute that was possibly an old spare or
> salvage. Similar to the chute over the EB Main, the larger, round chute
> over the Middle Track is visible in the Gordon shot as a shadow under the
> coal bin, directly over the Middle Track only.
>
> Pushers might take servicing on the WB Main while running around Farm, if
> Tug operator had time on the main. The WB main was normally left clear to
> run traffic around in both directions using the crossovers at Hemphill and
> Mohegan; however, extreme conditions might have an eastbound taking service
> on the WB Main. Elkhorn (Bluefield) crews did not take coal and water at
> Farm.
>
> Edits and questions are welcome.
>
> Grant Carpenter
>
> On 9/3/2023 8:56 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:
>
> In this William Gordon picture, it seems that the 4 tracks immediately
> consolidate back to a double track mainline.
>
> In this Archive image, it appears that there may only be chutes on the
> westbound track. Does that make sense considering the direction flow of the
> coal trains bound for the Great Lakes? The westbound tracks have a large
> funnel type dispenser.  The outer eastbound track has a possible smaller
> square chute, and the inner eastbound does not have a visible chute
> (although it may just be fully raised).
>
> Mike Rector
>
> On Sun, Sep 3, 2023 at 8:46 PM NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List <
> nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
>
>> 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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