Loyall KY 12-62 Combined
Motive Power Utilization on the L&N in 1962
Yesterday during a periodical “purging” to put things back in their right place, I realized these two negatives (or at least one of them) had never been printed, scanned, or shared. These were taken at Loyall, Ky., on the L&N’s Cumberland Valley Division, in December 1962---probably between Christmas and New Year’s Day when I was there visiting my grandparents.
These shots are of train No. 65, the daily fast freight between Corbin, Ky. and Norton, Va. Freight traffic has fallen off slightly during the holidays, but there’s still work to be done on the railroad. No. 65 arrived much later than usual pulled by Alco FA-2 No. 313, and RS-3, and a second FA-2. The first move after arriving in Loyall was for the head end to hold on to cars to be interchanged to the Southern in Appalachia or Interstate Railroad at Dorchester Junction. Everything else would go through to Norton to be passed to a connecting N&W fast freight to Bluefield, W.Va. and beyond.
The first photo shows the three units holding the first several cars blocked for the Southern/Interstate and backing into the yard to couple up with a block of southbound loaded coal hoppers. Those will also go to Dorchester Junction, where the Interstate will meet the train, double (or triple) the tonnage into Norton, then make haste for Miller Yard, Va. to hopefully interchange everything to the Clinchfield before midnight (thus avoiding a share of car per diem charges for that day).
However---it takes more horsepower on the stretch of the CV from Loyall to Norton, so the three units cut off and back to the engine terminal to “borrow” an extra RS-3 from those assigned to Loyall. This will give them enough power to move about 5600 tons. A fifth unit would up that total to 7000, but the weigh clerk, yard crew, billing clerks and yardmaster have calculated the tonnage closely, and four units should suffice for this run.
On the railroad, math was (and still is) your friend! The last thing a yard master wants to do is dispatch a freight with more tonnage than it can handle over a particular stretch of railroad. Conductors were also required to double check their tonnage as well. Computers? No...this was done with a switch list, a sharpened No. 2 pencil, and calculating the tonnage as one was taught in elementary school. You had to account for the tare weight (how much an empty car weighed) and the lading (weight of the load, be it coal, appliances, petroleum, dog food, or stacks of lumber)---and maybe the caboose plus the weight of the flagman and conductor if it was gonna be close! If any over tonnage freight with all its motive power in good working order stalls, the problems are like a snowball rolling downhill.
The second shot shows the 313 and the RS-3 has cut off the rear FA-2 and moved in to “snatch” one of the extra units. The MU connections have been completed, and No. 65’s engineer has notched out the throttle just enough to be sure the extra unit is responding to his commands. Since the “new” unit has been idling for hours, it emits a cloud of white exhaust smoke. A diesel locomotive smoking after idling can be attributed to several factors, primarily related to incomplete combustion or issues with the fuel and air mixture, but it’s very common. The carbon build up blows out the exhaust once the RPMs are increased.
By the time No. 65 had doubled the coal onto the train, it was apparently too dark, so I had to give up the photography. Oh yes…on the way back to Corbin the next day, the extra unit would be dropped at Loyall to be assigned to the next mine run. These exchanges of motive power continued for many years at Loyall, although as tonnages increased and six motor units were assigned more often, the practice wasn’t as common.
The old heads might notice that distinctive Milwaukee Road box car in the first shot, followed by a small covered hopper, and an empty Interstate hopper headed back to Andover. The cars in the background in the second shot are bound for the N&W connection at Norton. The mixed freight on this run versus coal was usually a 50-50 mix. If there was too much coal to run, extras would handle it and the four daily through freights would handle all the mixed freight traffic---and operated on a "priority" basis.
Loyall KY 12-62 Combined
Motive Power Utilization on the L&N in 1962
Yesterday during a periodical “purging” to put things back in their right place, I realized these two negatives (or at least one of them) had never been printed, scanned, or shared. These were taken at Loyall, Ky., on the L&N’s Cumberland Valley Division, in December 1962---probably between Christmas and New Year’s Day when I was there visiting my grandparents.
These shots are of train No. 65, the daily fast freight between Corbin, Ky. and Norton, Va. Freight traffic has fallen off slightly during the holidays, but there’s still work to be done on the railroad. No. 65 arrived much later than usual pulled by Alco FA-2 No. 313, and RS-3, and a second FA-2. The first move after arriving in Loyall was for the head end to hold on to cars to be interchanged to the Southern in Appalachia or Interstate Railroad at Dorchester Junction. Everything else would go through to Norton to be passed to a connecting N&W fast freight to Bluefield, W.Va. and beyond.
The first photo shows the three units holding the first several cars blocked for the Southern/Interstate and backing into the yard to couple up with a block of southbound loaded coal hoppers. Those will also go to Dorchester Junction, where the Interstate will meet the train, double (or triple) the tonnage into Norton, then make haste for Miller Yard, Va. to hopefully interchange everything to the Clinchfield before midnight (thus avoiding a share of car per diem charges for that day).
However---it takes more horsepower on the stretch of the CV from Loyall to Norton, so the three units cut off and back to the engine terminal to “borrow” an extra RS-3 from those assigned to Loyall. This will give them enough power to move about 5600 tons. A fifth unit would up that total to 7000, but the weigh clerk, yard crew, billing clerks and yardmaster have calculated the tonnage closely, and four units should suffice for this run.
On the railroad, math was (and still is) your friend! The last thing a yard master wants to do is dispatch a freight with more tonnage than it can handle over a particular stretch of railroad. Conductors were also required to double check their tonnage as well. Computers? No...this was done with a switch list, a sharpened No. 2 pencil, and calculating the tonnage as one was taught in elementary school. You had to account for the tare weight (how much an empty car weighed) and the lading (weight of the load, be it coal, appliances, petroleum, dog food, or stacks of lumber)---and maybe the caboose plus the weight of the flagman and conductor if it was gonna be close! If any over tonnage freight with all its motive power in good working order stalls, the problems are like a snowball rolling downhill.
The second shot shows the 313 and the RS-3 has cut off the rear FA-2 and moved in to “snatch” one of the extra units. The MU connections have been completed, and No. 65’s engineer has notched out the throttle just enough to be sure the extra unit is responding to his commands. Since the “new” unit has been idling for hours, it emits a cloud of white exhaust smoke. A diesel locomotive smoking after idling can be attributed to several factors, primarily related to incomplete combustion or issues with the fuel and air mixture, but it’s very common. The carbon build up blows out the exhaust once the RPMs are increased.
By the time No. 65 had doubled the coal onto the train, it was apparently too dark, so I had to give up the photography. Oh yes…on the way back to Corbin the next day, the extra unit would be dropped at Loyall to be assigned to the next mine run. These exchanges of motive power continued for many years at Loyall, although as tonnages increased and six motor units were assigned more often, the practice wasn’t as common.
The old heads might notice that distinctive Milwaukee Road box car in the first shot, followed by a small covered hopper, and an empty Interstate hopper headed back to Andover. The cars in the background in the second shot are bound for the N&W connection at Norton. The mixed freight on this run versus coal was usually a 50-50 mix. If there was too much coal to run, extras would handle it and the four daily through freights would handle all the mixed freight traffic---and operated on a "priority" basis.