Coal cars and other freight cars...

[Kozzie]

After running my steam locos att he clubhouse on the weekend, I was wondering if were there any occurences where a rake of coal cars, even a small number, were included in a mixed freight train, (somewhere, anywhere, in the U.S.), or were coal cars always hauled on their own?

I realize one can run what they like behind their locos but I was curious just the same, [;)] since mixed freight [:)] is what I prefer to run.

Cheers

Dave

[AltonFan]

Yes, especially during the steam era, when many factories and homes used coal, and even some fairly small industrial plants had their own power plants, it was not unusual to see coal-loaded hopper cars in both singles and groups. These would be on their way to factories, retail fuel dealers, railroad fuel bunkers.

AIUI, coal was effected by seasonal rushes with more traffic in the fall and winter, and less in the summer. A retail coal dealer, who sold coal for residential fuel would receive fewer cars in the summer months, but a factory that used steam in its production processes might have a more regular demand.

[Fergmiester]

There are plenty of photos in all kind of books to support this. A coal car here, a couple there. All in a consist of mixed freight. Wouldn't hurt for you to visit a used book store and pick up a couple of books on "Days of old". It's a good and cheap way of getting information.

[BNSFNUT]

A lot of coal was aways handled in complete trains over the years where the market was large enough, power plants, ports etc.
Coal headed for small markets where a dedicated train was not practical was hauled in regular freights. In the days when peaple used coal for heat just about every small town had a coal dealer so cars for these customers was hauled in small blocks some times 1 car and was delivered by local freights. Also industries use coal to generate their own power. A small industry such as a creamery might use only 2-3 cars of coal a week while a large industry might use 50 cars a week.
So if you run coal in dedicated trains or a few in a genral freight you can't be wrong.
I have seen mixed coal and freight trains to this very day.

[Kozzie]

Thanks everyone for that info. [:)] Sure adds to the variety, especially when running trains at MR exhibitions - the public enjoy variety.[:)] [:)]

Kozzie

[cacole]

Even today, the Union Pacific runs a daily mixed consist local between Tucson, Arizona and Lordsburg, New Mexico that drops off or picks up coal cars and box cars at the Apache Nitrogen plant in Benson, Arizona, and the Arizona Electric Power Cooperative (AEPCO) generating station near Willcox. Arizona.

[Kozzie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cacole

Even today, the Union Pacific runs a daily mixed consist local between Tucson, Arizona and Lordsburg, New Mexico that drops off or picks up coal cars and box cars at the Apache Nitrogen plant in Benson, Arizona, and the Arizona Electric Power Cooperative (AEPCO) generating station near Willcox. Arizona.

Cacole, that's interesting stuff. [;)][:)] What locos would UP use for that sort of work?

Dave

[cacole]

The locos on this local have been a really mixed bag -- SP, Cotton Belt, NS, UP, GM Demo, and other leased units; mostly SD40s. Usually at least 3 units, sometimes 4. This train actually runs twice daily -- sometime during the night from Lordsburg to Tucson, and in the afternoon from Tucson to Lordsburg. It arrives in Benson, Arizona, around 1:30 p.m. daily on its east-bound run. Although the train is short, it has to climb long, steep grades going both ways out of Benson. The grade going toward Tucson is a continual 1.5 percent for 15 miles; toward Lordsburg it is near 2 percent for 17 miles. This is on the Sunset Route, and Benson is the lowest point between Tucson and Lordsburg, where the line crosses the San Pedro River. Most through trains roar through Benson at or near the maximum allowable 70 MPH because they are having to get a run at the hill no matter which way they are going. Even so, some trains barely make it up the grades out of Benson and are barely crawling by the time they reach the crest at Mescal to the west or Dragoon to the east. Even Amtrak puts 3 Genesis locomotives on the Sunset Limited in Tucson or Lordsburg because of the climb out of Benson.

[Kozzie]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cacole

The locos on this local have been a really mixed bag -- SP, Cotton Belt, NS, UP, GM Demo, and other leased units; mostly SD40s. Usually at least 3 units, sometimes 4. This train actually runs twice daily -- sometime during the night from Lordsburg to Tucson, and in the afternoon from Tucson to Lordsburg. It arrives in Benson, Arizona, around 1:30 p.m. daily on its east-bound run. Although the train is short, it has to climb long, steep grades going both ways out of Benson. The grade going toward Tucson is a continual 1.5 percent for 15 miles; toward Lordsburg it is near 2 percent for 17 miles. This is on the Sunset Route, and Benson is the lowest point between Tucson and Lordsburg, where the line crosses the San Pedro River. Most through trains roar through Benson at or near the maximum allowable 70 MPH because they are having to get a run at the hill no matter which way they are going. Even so, some trains barely make it up the grades out of Benson and are barely crawling by the time they reach the crest at Mescal to the west or Dragoon to the east. Even Amtrak puts 3 Genesis locomotives on the Sunset Limited in Tucson or Lordsburg because of the climb out of Benson.

That certainly makes for some variety when running that on a layout.

Kozzie

[darth9x9]

Most often, when a yard makes up a mixed freight and they are a few hundred tons short of the maximum tonnage and the yard has coal to go in the same direction, they will use the coal to "fill out the tonnage." I've seen this done regularly through the 70s.

BC