Tug Fork Operations

[NW Mailing List]

Grant,

 

Thank you for your help.

 

Alex Schust

 

From: NW-Mailing-List [mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of
NW Mailing List
Sent: Monday, January 18, 2016 4:27 PM
To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Subject: Re: Tug Fork Operations

 

Re: Engine direction/position in Tug Fork Branch movements, 1950-52

Generally...

Locomotives were dispatched facing upgrade when lacking the means and
advantage to turn during the run.

1st Tug worked USS #6 and #9 (Filbert) up Sand Lick. 2nd Tug worked USS #13
on the way to #14 (Munson) up South Fork. Using 2000's, they pulled up the
branches delivering empties, ran around, backed down with loads behind, ran
around on the Tug Fork main below Gary, pulled up Sand Lick, then backed
into the cleaning plant. 

3rd Tug (aka Anawalt Mine Run) worked non-USS tipples up North Fork. Using a
2000 on the head end and a 1400 on the rear, it delivered or set off empties
on the way up, mostly for Nassau and Page. It stopped at the junction with
Ballard Harman Spur, cut so many empties ahead of the 1400, it would shove
up the spur to a switchback, then pulled up the hill to deliver Jenkinjones
#8. The 2000 pulled forward up the North Fork with the remaining empties to
a switchback, then shoved back up the hill to deliver Jenkinjones #7. Both
crews pulled loads, the 1400 backed down the spur onto the North Fork with
#8 loads behind, the 2000 crew backed down from #7 with loads ahead and
coupled the train together. All backed down to Anawalt, turned on the wye,
and proceeded forward down to Wilcoe Yard, collecting loads along the way.

4th Tug worked Havaco, the Main Line west to Mohegan and east to Superior
after Eckman closed. It departed Wilcoe Yard with a 2000 (in reverse) and
empties only for Havaco which was on a trailing-point spur. Loads were set
off at Tug Storage if Farm was full/congested or if orders were to first
head east (light with locomotive running forward). In either direction,
usually main line tipples were worked with empties from the nearest storage
tracks where loads were then set off. It pulled any Tug Fork freight setoffs
at Hemphill and returned to Wilcoe Yard.

5th and 6th Tug were night jobs that worked much like 1st and 2nd. Any Tug
job might help work the cleaning plant. Empty deliveries and loads back and
forth between the cleaning plant and Wilcoe Yard were handled from the
uphill (timetable west) end. Loads were pulled from the outlet tracks
directly into Wilcoe Yard.

The Tug River Local worked east from Williamson three times a week to Wilcoe
Yard. It pulled in with an 1100, turned, took their rest, and pulled out the
next day. 

Tug River Pool crews came east from Williamson with empties and a 2100, but
sometimes stopped at Mohegan, traffic permitting, to wye the locomotive and
pull in reverse to Wilcoe. The Wilcoe table had been taken out of service
and turning on the Gary wye was not easy with the distance past the yard,
hand-thrown switches, and mine crews everywhere. They took their rest and
returned with west loads, pulling forward (doubling over however many times)
out of Wilcoe Yard.

Elkhorn Pool crews with empties and a 2100 from Bluefield also had to
consider where to turn, plus the switchback move at Tug. Depending on
conditions, they would either hold a main or clear up in the middle track at
Farm and then had three options: cut off, wye at Mohegan, run around their
train, and pull forward up to Wilcoe; cut off, run around, and pull in
reverse to Wilcoe; or simply shove in reverse to Wilcoe.

The return trip with east loads to Bluefield, plus a Pocahontas Pusher, had
three similar options: they would pull forward out of Wilcoe down to Farm,
cut off, wye at Mohegan, run around while the pusher got on the rear, and
head east; pull in reverse out of Wilcoe Yard, run around at Farm while the
pusher got on; or have the pusher get on at Wilcoe, all reverse to Farm,
then forward towards Bluefield.

The preceding is based on oral histories and, regretfully, I have little
information on the Tug Fork Passenger Run. Yes, there was no run around at
Jenkinjones, so 156 backed to at least the Anawalt wye and there was no run
around at Filbert, so 158 backed at least to the Gary wye. I understand it
did back (engine on the rear) into Welch from Tug and photo evidence
suggests that it backed out. There was a run around at the Welch station and
the morning stop had plenty of layover to do so. By 1950, the second stop at
Welch marked the end of the run.

As always, corrections, additions, and questions are most welcome. Hope this
helps.

Grant Carpenter

On 1/9/2016 6:08 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:

I have received a request about operations on the Tug Fork. I expect members
on the mailing list have firsthand knowledge and can provide better
information than I can. Any help is appreciated.

 

Alex Schust 

 

To: Alex Schust
Subject: Tug Fork Operations

 

Alex -

Can you provide any information concerning Tug Fork
operations circa 1950-52 regarding the following:

When trains ran backwards (in reverse) or when they
pulled backwards by running around their consist.

I assume on the the Sand Lick Branch (freight and 
passenger consists) this happened from Filbert to 
the Gary Wye at least.

I assume on the North Fork Branch they ran backwards
(freight and passenger consists) from Jenkinjones to
the Anawalt wye.

How was it done on the South Fork Branch from Munson
(No. 14) to the USC&C Cleaning Plant at Gary.

If the Cleaning Plant was fed by pushing cars onto the
car dump lead, where did the run-around of the consist 
take place so the engine could get behind?  Thorpe siding?

Regarding passenger operations, besides the two examples
mentioned above (Sand Lick & North Fork),  and considering 
there was no wye (that I know of) at Welch, it appears that at 
least in one direction or the other passenger trains had to run 
backwards at least to the Wilcoe turntable.  Can this be true?
The pictures I have seen show local passenger trains backed
into the Welch station which would mean, assuming no wye,
they would start off backing down the Tug Fork Branch.  They
could get to the other end of the consist by running around at
the first siding (Storage or Tuglum), but they would still be 
running backwards although pulling their consist at least to
the Wilcoe yard.

One other thing I am looking for information on is how the 
mine shifter that handled the North Fork keep the USC&C
coal loads seperate from the Pageton, Jenkinjones & Nassau
coal loads (ie. the coal going to the cleaning plant versus the coal
going to the Wilcoe yard for export east or other destinations
west).

Any information or insight you can provide on these items would be
greatly appreciated.

By the way, I enjoyed Gary Hollow so much I bought a second copy for
my aunt and uncle in Anawalt.  Also enjoyed Billion Dollar Coalfield as 
well as the NWHS Tug Fork Book.

Thank you again, in advance, for any information you can provide.





 

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