Pigeon Creek mine info needed

[NW Mailing List]

Hello Jim,

Any time frame when you might release this CD? Do you have plans for additional Bauer CDs? Will it (they) be offered through the commissary?

John Garner

-----Original Message-----
From: NW Mailing List [mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org] 
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2018 8:49 AM
To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Subject: Pigeon Creek mine info needed

Hi guys,

Does anyone know the distance between mines 24 and 25 on the coal branch from Naugatuck to Delbarton as it was in 1958? Are these mines still in business today?
Also is there a track chart available of that line?

I’m curious because I have audio tapes from 1958 where William Bauer chased Y6 2136 on one of those mine runs and recorded the entire run as he drove his car alongside, running his 1/4” reel to reel recorder from a bank of batteries in the car. I’m working on an audio CD of that trip and need some info for the jacket.

As it turned out, I was in Williamson in April, 1960 and shot a couple of slides of the 2136 on a mine run but it wasn’t on the Delbarton run at the time. 

Bill Bauer also recorded some tape of the 2151 on that same trip but the 2136 sequence is a solid 18 minutes working with 127 hoppers (empty, I think).

Some of his other recordings include rides on trains 25 and 26 in May or June, 1958 just before the J class engines were replaced by diesels and a trip from Bluefield to Norton on trains 5 & 6 with Pacific 578. All of these runs were recorded from the baggage cars.

He also recorded at the more famous locations such as Blue Ridge, etc but never released any of his N&W recordings. 

Any help with the info will be highly appreciated.

Thanks
Jim Herron