Stock movements

[NW Mailing List]

Mine Mules extracted from "Gary Hollow,' my first book.

Alex Schust
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From: NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org> on behalf of NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 6, 2025 8:29 AM
To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: Re: Stock movements

Thanks again, that is all amazingly helpful for me. One last follow-up on this topic; how frequently were the cattle shipped out from the Blackford turn?

Brent

Dr. J. Brent Greer
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From: NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org> on behalf of NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Friday, December 5, 2025 10:17:49 PM
To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: Stock movements

Brent,

I'm not that familiar with the traffic pattern, rules and regs on stock moves. Regarding mules, they were shipped from the Midwest in foreign-road stock cars and surprisingly late, into the mid-1950s. First 84 often had a stock car or two on the head end that might include hogs for Elliston.

The stockyard in Bluefield was on the north side of East Yard just east of the coal wharf. Stock cars close on their time limit were switched over to the pens to unload, rest, feed, water, and reload cattle and hogs.

Yes, there was the Blackford Turn out of Bluefield to Honaker on the Clinch Valley. In Bluefield, #85 would be held for hours waiting for Blackford stock loads to be cut in on the head end.

Grant Carpenter

On 12/4/2025 10:09 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:
Thanks Grant!   Can you tell us a little more about the handling of mules?  How often and where did these get shipped from/to?  Did they arrive in N&W stock cars or did they come in off-line cars?

We frequently hear about the cattle extra out of Honaker, but I've not really heard much about how those operated, or what other points on the N&W may have had stock pens for either shipments or deliveries.  Do you have any first hand knowledge about any of these?

Brent

________________________________
Dr. J. Brent Greer
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