Mainline hopper movements

[NW Mailing List]

The Elkhorn pool run has filled both the Elk Ridge Storage track and the
North Fork Storage track, grabbed its cab and headed West to turn and pick
up loads.  Now, a mine run gets dispatched from Eckman bound for the North
fork branch.  What class locomotive?  Did it have a cab?  Was it facing
forward (East)?  When it arrived at North fork and signed onto the branch,
Would it pull all the empties from both storage tracks at Elk Ridge or a
lesser number prior to heading further up the holler to Algoma?
Jim Cochran

On Fri, Nov 28, 2025 at 6:23 PM NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
wrote:

> Maybe less pie and more nap – (2) edits below:
>
> Grant Carpenter
>
> On 11/28/2025 1:36 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:
>
> Hello Jim,
>
> There were six to ten crews assigned to the Elkhorn Pool out of Bluefield.
> They rotated first-in, first-out with eight hours of rest. They handled
> full-length mainline trains, that was 80 loads eastbound upgrade, which
> required a 2100 and a pusher.
>
> Specifically, the Elkhorn run to North Fork left Bluefield running forward
> with empties behind and a cab on the rear. A clarification from earlier
> where I stated this job would turn on the table at Eckman and pickup east
> loads there for the return trip to Bluefield: Farm became the turning point
> when the Eckman table was taken out of service. If so, this crew continued
> west, possibly picking up *east* loads along the WB main, turned, filled
> out tonnage at some point, met a pusher, and started back to Bluefield.
>
> Depending on the date, they called the operator or the dispatcher to
> unlock the switch at the branch junction with the WB main. Extra movements
> would have to register on, so the box should have been near that switch.
>
> If you are still referring to the Elkhorn crew, it was a trailing-point
> move to back empties into the Elk Ridge Storage track, yes, formally formerly
> the oven track, then into the North Fork Storage track, formally formerly
> the main track before a new main track was laid next to it. They would not
> have delivered Algoma – that was first on the mine run's agenda.
>
> Grant Carpenter
>
> On 11/27/2025 7:10 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:
>
> Hope everyone is full of turkey and pie and got at least one nap this
> afternoon,
> Had I been and engineer in Bluefield assigned to the Elkhorn pool (were
> crew assigned to the pools?), and drew the North Fork run, what class loco
> would I have had under me (a 2000?).  Would I be running forward or
> reverse?  Would the empties be in front of me or behind me?  Would there be
> a cab, and if so, where?
> When I get to North Fork, do I need to sign the book showing I am
> occupying the branch, and if so, where was the book kept (in the
> station?)?  After being cleared for the branch, and depending upon the
> loco's facing, I would start to either push or pull those empties around
> the hill where the Elk Ridge coke ovens used to be and head up the holler
> to make my first drop off at Algoma?
> Can I pack any more questions into one short message, time will tell,
> Jim Cochran
>
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