Wreckmaster

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Hello All,

That was wonderful!  What was the date of the derailment?


>From the "Hamburger" [circular device] I would date the photo post 1963.

The N&W did not immediately repaint all the hoppers, but the picture seems
to have a white dot in the upper left of all the hoppers, so I suspect that
the derailment was some years later.  I only saw 3 bay hoppers on their
sides.  But some of the hoppers that were still upright appeared to be
shorter than others.  This might indicate that they 2 bay hoppers which had
not been retired.  The last 2 bay H9 hoppers were only retired in 1983.
There were some losses (accidents etc.) of H9s every year, but the real
decline began in 1967 and continued through 1980 when there were just over
a thousand.  The maximum number of H9s was 12,128 in 1957 after the rebuild
"heavy repair" and conversion of the HL hoppers was completed.  So, my
guess is sometime in the late 60's early 70's.

Does anyone else have a better guess?  No fair looking in the archives for
the picture with date.

Joe, AKA Norfolk Bear

At 11:35 PM 7/7/05 -0400, you wrote:

>Imagine -- you are the wreckmaster at Bluefield, WV.  It is your day off,

so you are sleeping in and dreaming of the fish you will be catching later
that morning.  You are awakened by the phone ringing.  They tell you to get
the wreck crew together because there has been a derailment in the East
Yard.  You drag yourself out of bed, and join your crew at the shop as an
engine couples to the derrick to move it to the east end.  This is a
familiar routine.  The yard brakemen occasionally let a car or two get away
on the descending grade in the East Yard, and the cars jump the track at
the derail.  With luck, the cars will be upright and just need lifting back
on the track.  You may not get to the fishing hole today, but you expect to
be home for supper.  Then, you arrive at the derailment site.
  
Gordon Hamilton says scroll down.
  
[Warning, you have to go to Gordon's original posting.  The digital photo
did not copy attach to this posting.]