Hi all,
I was surfing the MR website today and came across the downloadable coal paperwork (mine block and mine order cards) that are used to operate the Virginian layout. I realized that with maybe a little modification they could be used to route grain cars. For those with layouts handling mostly grain traffic, it seems to me you could simply substitute grain for coal on the forms. I don't know if this would work for grain operations before the unit train era, such as the 1950's, but I suppose it might. Anyone have thoughts on this?
The routing of grain cars should probably be very similar to the handling of multi car shipments of coal, the difference being, in the 1950s, there were still plenty of small coal customers receiving single car shipments vs. grain which usually travelled in multi car shipments to larger consignees. Like the coal mine, the grain elevator would request the number of empties he needed to fill. Unlike the grain elevator that might load thirty cars, all going to the same mill or port, the loader of clean coal might load 30 cars for a dozen or more different customers. Not being a freight agent, it seems likely the 30 cars of grain could travel under one waybill from shipper to receiver. The coal would probably have a bill for each car, especially if one receiver was receiving more than one grade of coal. Even a switchlist for the grain, presuming it is all wheat or corn or some other grain could list the reporting marks of the first and last cars while, indicating a 30 car string. If a large block of coal cars (pre-unit train 1950s) were destined for the same customer, the same practice may be used. The Kalmbach book on coal railroading may give you some more insight into multiple car shipments. If you can find a copy of "Freight Cars Rolling" by Lawrence W. Sagle, published about 1960, it will answer a lot of questions about the paperwork involved in moving freight by rail. Mr Sagle worked in B&O's traffic department so, you're getting your info from a guy who knew.
Thanks for the info! I will definitely check out that book.