Another Northfork operational question

[NW Mailing List]

Thanks Grant!   Can you tell us a little more about the handling of mules?  How often and where did these get shipped from/to?  Did they arrive in N&W stock cars or did they come in off-line cars?

We frequently hear about the cattle extra out of Honaker, but I've not really heard much about how those operated, or what other points on the N&W may have had stock pens for either shipments or deliveries.  Do you have any first hand knowledge about any of these?

Brent

________________________________
Dr. J. Brent Greer
________________________________
From: NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org> on behalf of NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 4, 2025 10:05 AM
To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: Re: Another Northfork operational question

Brent,

Yes, Armour and Wilson were behind the station and shared a facing-point spur off of the EB main. Swift was located just across the creek on a trailing-point spur off of the EB main. Given the opposing switch moves, the shifter crew had to get ahead or behind the appropriate cars on the middle track of a busy main.

Usually, the mine run was called early to handle just the refrigerator cars before starting their run. The cars were considered "hot" out of Chicago and Cincinnati and if they missed their connection with 84, then it was Second 84 or the next eastbound, period. This could result in "Second 84" being your coal train with refrigerators on the head end (See p.125, The Norfolk and Western... As I Knew It!, August A. Thieme).

With a trailing point move, the cars were set off on the North Fork Middle Track close to all three packing houses there in Northfork. The Night Mine Run, the North Fork Hollow Passenger Run, or the North Fork Hollow Mine Run would spot the cars, depending on when the cars were set off and which job was available. Men would be waiting on the docks to unload the cars. Subject to high demurrage, they were picked up in less than eight hours and either taken to Bluefield by the Farm Local for the next westbound freight or (later) were moved to the nearest pickup point (Eckman Yard) for a River crew to take back west in a coal train. This is the only case of expedited freight by coal train on the Division that I'm aware of beyond some LCL or mules on mine runs.

Grant Carpenter

On 12/2/2025 10:23 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:
I've seen a few photos of meat reefers at the head end of coal trains on their way to/from Northfork.  I understand that there were at least 2 meat packing facilities in Northfork itself and that they shared a siding.

How were these cars handled on the branch?  I hope Grant can detail the process of how the cars were received, spotted, returned/forwarded in Northfork.

Sincere thanks,
Brent

Dr. J. Brent Greer

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