Looking for info on ICRX- Island Creek Corp

[Anonymous]

I just watched Pentrex video Into The Allegheny Range Vol 1 it's about the CSX. The question i have is on the video there is a coal train with the reporting marks ICRX - Island Creek Corp. Does anyone have any info on this company or photos of there coal cars? I would like to model them for my layout and any help would be greatly appericated.

[Anonymous]

The Island Creek mines has operated coal mines for many years in Western Kentucky with CSX, IC and the P&L (former IC KY Division). I seem to remember Webster, Muhlenberg, and Hopkins County having a few of the mines. Island Creek had their own Unit Coal Trains I know depending on the size of the mine operation. I believe also that they ran a Unit Train from Muhlenberg County to Big Rivers Power Company at Sebree. I also believe they had a unloading dock or unloaded at a dock on the Tennessee River-Kentucky Lake area at one time.

That is always changing depending on the coal contract to the power plants. I know Union Pacific and BNSF have now got right to use the near extinct CSX St. Louis - Evansville, IN line and continued trackage right on the CSX to Muhlenberg county to bring in Western Coal to KY possible for some blending or straight production.

[coalminer3]

Island Creek has been around for a long time. I looked through some of my files and came up with following for them in 1953. Island Creek had sales offices in Huntington, WV; Cincinnati,Greensboro,Cleveland, Detroit, Chciago and New York.

Distributors were E.P. Weaver Coal, C.H. Sprague and Son, C Reiss Coal and Carnegie Dock and Fuel Co.

Island Creek coal was sold under a variety of names including Black Onyx, Pioneer, Scarlet Flame, Firebrite, Phoenix, Brownie, Indian Maid, Four-Point, Marianna, Blue Boy, Eagle, and Flame King. All of these coals had different logos. The ones for Inidan Mad and Scarlet Flame were particularly well executed.

Most of their properties were in Logan County, WV, and shipped via C&O or in the case of some properties in Mingo County, N&W. I can provide a list of specific mines if you need one.

work safe

work safe