Mine runs 2 Re: loco motions

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> I’m fascinated to read the discussion regarding switching coal operations
on Tug Fork and Dry Fork.  I was a 3rd shift and then 2nd shift yardmaster
at Wilcoe in 1978 and 1979.  Coming from the management training program in
Roanoke, I had no experience with operations to suggest what was reasonable
and what was not if my supervisors didn’t tell me otherwise.

One morning we got a telephone call from Jenkin Jones with their order for
the day.  They knew we had 60 short loads destined their way, probably
having come from Bishop on Dry Fork.  I don’t remember now but there were
probably mty’s for them as well, but these had to be distributed among all
the mines and the car distributors office in Bluefield would have told us
how many Jenkin Jones was to get.  I gave the 2nd Tug their orders,
including the direction to deliver 60 short loads to Jenkin Jones, and when
he came in at 7am, turned over the Yardmasters seat to my mentor, Fred
Richards, and went home to bed.  I had no idea what I had just done.

The 1st and 2nd Tugs were each assigned three SD units.  I’d grown up in
Harrisonburg, watching a “big” train on the Chesapeake Western use all
three T6’s.  It never occurred to me that three SD’s could only handle 20
short loads up the mountain from Anawalt to Jenkin Jones.  They had to
triple the hill that day, and I was informed in no uncertain terms of my
error the next morning.

Ignorance is bliss, until it isn’t.

David Ray

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