North Fork Hollow Mine Run

[NW Mailing List]

Depended on the job, generally speaking.

There would be an engineer and fireman, a head end brakeman, rear-end brakeman and conductor.

Jobs that had a lot of switching, frequently had a middle brakeman. Usually locals and such.

Grant can likely tell us what crews warranted a middle brakeman.

Ken Miller

> On Dec 5, 2025, at 1:33 PM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
> 
> OK, I sit corrected on cabeese on mine runs.  Putting it behind the loco prevents those extra maneuvers I was worried about.  BUT, and there's always a but, how many men made up a mine run crew?  Engineer, fireman and probably a brakeman at the nucleus, anybody else?  Did the mining operations supply workers to assist in the process?
> Jim Cochran
> 
> On Fri, Dec 5, 2025 at 6:46 AM NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
> I've seen many pics of the caboose riding behind the engine on switching moves to keep crews together.
> 
> Carl Barna
> Emmaus, PA
> 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 4:22 PM
> To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
> Subject: Re: North Fork Hollow Mine Run
>  
> Thanks Jimmy, this helps some of us modelers or others who are just curious about history, who have never worked for the railroad.
> 
> Your question about "where would the crew ride" without a caboose is helpful because I would not have thought of that.
> Some of Jim C's questions are interesting to me as generalities to understand the hows and whys of how things worked.
> 
> Mike Rector
> 
> On Thu, Dec 4, 2025 at 2:47 PM NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:
> 
> On 12/4/2025 8:19 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:
> > However, Grant's information suggests that the run pulled past the 
> > trailing points turnout and then backed the empties into the holding 
> > track.  What was the motivation for this?  Hauling a caboose around 
> > through all these gyrations would have seemingly meant additional 
> > moves to drop it off and pick it back up, so I am assuming (and yes, I 
> > know what assuming can do) that these runs were cabooseless.
> 
> Jim,
> First, the trains were not cabooseless! Where would the crew ride? 
> Second, these crews have been switching out these plants for years and 
> they know how best to do it! Trust me, they are not going to do it the 
> hard way! What we don't know is everything that is on their list that 
> needs to be done AND what the physical situation of cars left over in 
> the tracks may be. Not knowing any of this, it is inconceivable to guess 
> just how a plant needs to be switched on any given day. Sure, there is a 
> basic system of working each place, but, that can easily change 
> depending on what other work needs to be done.
> 
> Jimmy Lisle
> 
> ________________________________________
> NW-Mailing-List at nwhs.org
> To change your subscription go to
> https://pairlist6.pair.net/mailman/options/nw-mailing-list
> Browse the NW-Mailing-List archives at
> https://pairlist6.pair.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/
> ________________________________________
> NW-Mailing-List at nwhs.org
> To change your subscription go to
> https://pairlist6.pair.net/mailman/options/nw-mailing-list
> Browse the NW-Mailing-List archives at
> https://pairlist6.pair.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/
> ________________________________________
> NW-Mailing-List at nwhs.org
> To change your subscription go to
> https://pairlist6.pair.net/mailman/options/nw-mailing-list
> Browse the NW-Mailing-List archives at
> https://pairlist6.pair.net/pipermail/nw-mailing-list/