Boaz siding

[NW Mailing List]

Jeff,

Eastbound coal trains over Blue Ridge normally had a Class A engine next to the train and a Class Y6 helper in the lead, both added in the West Yard at Roanoke.  I think the Y6 was normally removed at Phoebe and the Class A took the train on to Crewe.

When I worked in the Shaffers Crossing roundhouse in steam days I could see this order of engines on the head end of a coal train passing the roundhouse even if the clues to their classes were hidden by a string of hopper cars between the engines and the roundhouse.  This was because the exhaust from the Class A smokestack went straight up whereas the exhaust from the Class Y6 was angled forward because of the angled nozzle and stack needed to clear the superheater/front-end throttle in the short smokebox on those engines.  Both engines were working hard to accelerate their heavy coal train as they passed the roundhouse, so there was plenty of exhaust to see.

Gordon Hamilton
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: NW Mailing List 
  To: NW Mailing List 
  Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 10:48 PM
  Subject: Re: Boaz siding


  Here's another question about pusher operations over Blue Ridge.  If a helper was required on the head end, was it placed on the train prior to leaving Roanoke or was it added at Boaz?  Where was the head end helper removed at?  

  Jeff Hawkins

  www.railsinvirginia.com
  www.railfirephotography.com


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