N&W Y6B

[prrj16400]

Hi,

I am wondering how long were N&W Coals trains with y6b as I assume around 80-100 cars

[selector]

About that long, but the Ys of any class almost always had a pusher on the big hills.  There is an excellent video called 'Pillars of Smoke in the Sky' on YouTube about the typical operations of the N&W.  It's well worth a watch. 

[timz]

How long were they? Doubt that anyone here can tell you. But FWIW, N&W timetables did include tonnage ratings, as here

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The above ratings may have increased slightly after Y6b's got booster valves.

[rcdrye]

Both N&W and Virginian used 120 ton capacity coal gondolas on six-wheel trucks starting in the early teens.  By the time the Y6B's were built the gons were mostly out of service, so train length for coal trains should probably be calculated using 70 ton hoppers. "Retail" hoppers destined for small coal yards would have been mostly 50 tonners.