Domestic coal onesy-twosy handling question
NW Mailing List
nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Fri Jul 7 12:00:37 EDT 2017
Speaking of storage-- not for coal only, but Norfolk Terminal had a 24,000 (+ or -) car capacity. Before the permit system,
Norfolk Terminal would overflow with coal waiting for orders and coal waiting to be dumped. Yard crews, known as
roustabouts, would scour the Soda Yard, Sewells Point, and Portlock for hoppers loaded for the classes called for on
a coal order. What Norfolk Terminal couldn't accommodate was stored in middle tracks Juniper west to Crewe -- and
then there was the former VGN main line Virso to Abilene capable of storing 400 + loads. When this coal was called
for dumping, the car numbers were given to a crew that went to Virso to dig out only the cars called for. It was a case, for
example, of couple to 150 loads, knock five our, put the rest back. And so on --, But with the permit system, N&W would
not accept coal for export until a buyer had been found. No more coal stored waiting for a buyer. Harry Bundy
e loaded, unsold coal could be stored at the tipple as "no-tags", but no more than 25% of the mine rating. More than that or to avoid blocking off the tipple, loads could be tagged for movement to storage. Outbound loads were sorted at the tipple by direction and blocked. Loads could be stored nearby, particularly if they could be routed later in either direction. Storage locations included River (Bluestone), Pocahontas Branch main (later), Eckman Yard, Vivian (Kimball Yard), and Huger Middle Track if Superior was slow. "House" coal was blocked as short loads to terminals where they were billed and handled as general freight.
Grant Carpenter
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