Pokey operations

Tue Apr 19 16:20:23 EDT 2022

Thanks, Alex and please bring us your Arrow article as soon as you can.
Jim

On Tue, Apr 19, 2022 at 3:38 PM NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
wrote:

> Gordon and Jim,
>
>
>
> On 4/22/21 Alex Schust posted the following on the N&W mailing list:
>
>
>
> “Switchback originally was a track designation which appeared on the N&W's
> New River Division and Branches West of Bluefield Map dated Feb 13, 1888.
> It showed a track leaving the main line and going back eats to serve the
> Shamokin Coal & Coke Company at  Maybeury and continuing east to the
> Elkhorn Coal & Coke Company at what was known as Barlow Hollow. A branch
> line went north from the Shamokin C&C Co. up Little Fork to the Norfolk
> Coal & Coke Company. There was no designation for the point where the
> switchback began. At the time the coal plants were still under construction
> and the Elkhorn Extension did not ship its first coal until August 1888.
>
>
>
> The 1888 N&W Annual Report listed four stations on the Elkhorn Extension.
> These were East End Trestle No. 3 (Maybeury), Switch Back, Turkey Gap and
> Elkhorn.
>
>
>
> The original track named Switchback was eventually called Elkhorn Branch.
> Elkhorn Branch traveled about 0.79 miles from its junction with the main
> line to a switch that sent the left Fork of Elkhorn Branch to the Norfolk
> Coal & Coke Company and the Right Fork of Elkhorn Branch to the Shamokin
> C&C co. and the Elkhorn C&C Co.
>
>
>
> The Norfolk Coal & Coke Company started operated a central power plant at
> Switchback in 1903. It supplied electric power to the Norfolk, Angle, Delta
> and Lick Branch operations, which were all located within about two miles
> of the power plant. Coal for the power plant was supplied by the Delta Mine
> via a tram road from the mine.
>
>
>
> On May 20, 1904, The Norfolk Coal & Coke Company properties were merged
> with the Jenkin Jones properties (Caswell Creek, Shamokin and Rolfe
> operations) and the Sagamore Colliery as the Pocahontas Consolidated
> Company. This merger formed the basis of the Pocahontas Fuel Company.
>
>
>
> It appears that a new power plant was built at Switchback in 1910. The
> Bluefield Daily Telegraph of March 10, 1910 noted that the Pocahontas
> Consolidated Collieries Company would have one of the finest power plants
> in to coalfield when the company was through with its Switchback plant
> constructed of brick. The new equipment and connections cost over $300,000
> and would be capable of generating 10,000 kW of power. The new plant would
> provide electricity to all of their mines whereas the existing power plant
> only supplied the Norfolk, Angle, Delta, Lick Branch and Sagamore mines.
>
>
>
> By March 1911 the Pocahontas Consolidated Colliers Co. was negotiating
> with the New River Power Company to take over the Switchback plant. A
> series of agreements was reached in May and June of 1911 where Pocahontas
> Consolidated agreed to purchase 10,000,000 kW annually from New River and
> New River would take over the Switchback power plant, which was valued at
> $1,000,000 at the time.
>
>
>
> The power plant operated until about 1914. In 1927 parts of the power
> plant were removed and the facility was rebuilt as a distribution center.
> The 1927 photos do not show a sidetrack for the power plant. A sidetrack
> was probably built during the reconstruction for the Elkhorn tunnel and new
> Maybeury bridge.
>
>
>
> When the new Elkhorn tunnel was put into operation the junction for the
> Elkhorn Branch was moved from the east bound main to the west bound main.”
>
>
>
> Following that 4/22/21 post the online discussion continued until about
> 4/26/21 and Larry Evans drove to Switchback to take pictures of the former
> track location. Grant Carpenter and I continued the discussion into May
> 2021 and following a lead from Grant I went to the Eastern Regional Coal
> Archives in Bluefield and found a drawing on the Elkhorn Tunnel realignment
> including the proposed reconstructed branch line to the Norfolk-Angle mine.
> I also went to the McDowell County Courthouse and found some info on the
> Switchback substation.
>
>
>
> I eventually found a photo indicating a spur track was in place at the
> power plant by 1912. It may have been put in for the 1907 upgrade, but it
> was there by 1912.
>
>
>
> In 1917 The N&W built a transfer station at Switchback to connect N&W
> electrification to Appalachian power system.
>
>
>
> Appears the only coal supply to the Switchback power plant was the Delta
> Mine.
>
>
>
> It appears that after WW ll the term Angle Branch came into common usage
> for the Elkhorn Branch because the Norfolk-Angle Mine was the only
> producing mine on the branch.
>
>
>
> Angle Mine closed in 1955, but the tipple operated into 1958, bu actual
> production went steadily downhill after 195 when employment dropped from
> 175 in 1954 to 36 in 1955, 18 in 1956, 10 in 1957 and 4 in 1958. The
> statistics are suspect because the production figures are inconsistent with
> the employment figures. It is possible the tipple was used to dump coal
> from truck mines
>
>
>
> 1954 – 248,000 tons – 175 employees
>
> 1955 – 267,800 tons – 36 employees
>
> 1956 – 221,700 tons – 18 employees
>
> 1957 – 177, 400 tons – 10 employees
>
> 1958 – 149, 478 tons – 4 employees
>
>
>
> Regardless it closed in 1958 after working 154 days.
>
>
>
> The Shamokin Mine was closed and the coal was taken out through the Lick
> Fork Branch, so the only mines operating on the Elkhorn Branch were Mill
> Creek and Norfolk Angle.
>
>
>
> If I ever find all of my notes on Switchback I intend to write an article
> for the Arrow when I finish my current project.
>
>
>
> Alex Schust
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* NW-Mailing-List [mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] *On
> Behalf Of *NW Mailing List
> *Sent:* Tuesday, April 19, 2022 10:08 AM
> *To:* NW Mailing List
> *Subject:* Re: Pokey operations
>
>
>
> Jim,
>
> Thanks for your comments.  Your mention of Alex's book reminds me that the
> Switchback power station is shown in his book on p. 152, and still begs the
> question in my mind as to how the material and machinery for that facility
> was delivered so far above the railroad.
>
> Gordon
>
> On 4/19/2022 7:56 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:
>
> Gordon,
>
> Can't speak to all facets of your question, but as to the name, there was
> a turn out on the main (maybe more than one as I am looking for
> documentation of a passing siding that may have existed) West of the water
> tank with a spur that led down to the "bottom" where is "switched back" to
> service mines along what is now at least route 52, can't remember the name
> of the mines at the moment (covered well in Alex's book).  The down spur
> also continued forward to go under the bridge to become the Angle branch
> also followed the creek to the Wye near Elkhorn Colliery.  Shamokin was
> also serviced down in the "bottom".
>
> Jim Cochran
>
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 19, 2022 at 7:37 AM NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
> wrote:
>
> Jim,
>
> I can't answer your questions, but I can interject one of my own.  The
> origin of the name Switchback has intrigued me.  The photos of the
> rather massive power plant on the hill above the mainline has made me
> wonder if there could have been a switchback track spur up to the power
> plant to deliver the massive machinery and building materials needed for
> construction of the power plant in an era when the railroad would have
> been the principal carrier of such items.  Also, how about coal
> deliveries by rail after the power plant was placed in operation, or did
> the plant's location give it direct access to a coal seam at that
> elevation?
>
> Gordon Hamilton
>
> On 4/18/2022 9:35 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:
> > Does anybody have any insight into operations at Switchback prior to
> > the late '40s realignment?  Coal loads would have to be rounded up
> > from the Angle branch, Shamokin and Elkhorn and then brought up to the
> > main West of the power house.  But how was the traffic controlled?  I
> > haven't seen any photos showing signals to stop either mainline or
> > mine movements.  How did they insure the main was clear when they came
> > up?  Also, if they "pulled" up from the bottom, the movement would be
> > pointed West.  Where did they go for assembly?  Did everything go West
> > to Byrd at North Fork or even on to Ecklmann?  Any and all thoughts
> > will be appreciated.  Not to name names, but I'm hoping Mr. Grant
> > might chime in on this one and perhaps Professor Schust.
> > Thanks,
> > Jim Cochran
> >
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