Coal on the W&A

[CSX4878]

I just have a small minor question.
Coal, to Plant Bowen. How many cars are normally on it, and do these trains come from the direction of Tunnel Hill?
I am thinking of doing both a loaded and unloaded activity for the route, and was just wondering.

[inflammable]

I haven't been up there to watch them, but I expect that they come from the other district, the K&A I think it is. It's eastern coal, and that's the direction the mines lay in.

You can do run through, from that same other district, southward. I don't think they all go to Plant McDonough, though.

On Independance Day, while out on Lake Allatoona, I did see a loaded northbound coal train. I don't have any clue as to where it was from, or going. I thought it may have been a reroute, though I don't know why it would have been rerouted.

I think I answered many questions, just not yours.

James

[landnrr]

99% of the coal comes down the K&A from Corbin. It goes to three of the Georgia Power plants, Plant Bowen (or Stilesboro) being the biggest. The other two are on the North side of Atlanta and out on the Georgia Road. A while back, they ran trains down the K&A to Cartersville and then up the W&A to Widows Creek in Alabama.

I have never seen a NB loaded coal train on the CSX except when the coal was frozen and they ran it to Florida and back to thaw it out.

Jay

[Claude350]

So no one knows the number of cars usually found on these coal runs?

[USRailFan]

Try 80 Bethgons with 3 SD70MACs up front.

[billworsham]

If Norfolk Southern is coming down through Dalton with GA Power coal, then the loads are standard 108 cars, (powered by 3 lead units, 2 DP) unless the power company specifies otherwise.

[CSX4878]

So NS Sometimes deliveres coal to the plant in Bowen?

I think what I will do is have a CSX coal train come off the K&A in towards Tunnel Hill as it's heading to Widows Creek.
That should do it.

[inflammable]

No, Plant Bowen is isolated to the CSX.

NS ships coal to Plant Hammond in Rome, and Wansley and Roopville which are somewhat near Carrollton. All of these will pass through Dalton.

From what I've seen, if a GA Power plant has access to both NS and CSX, then they'll be delivered by CSX. Plant McDonough in Atlanta is like this, and I'm pretty sure that Plant Branch near Milledgeville is like this, also. I feel certain that NS will charge a little more than CSX, though I don't know for sure.

James

[landnrr]

The standard coal train thru Etowah is 90 cars except for one that goes to South Carolina which is 100 cars.

Jay

[inflammable]

I'm so lame brained sometimes.

It'd be a bigger project that what you initially mentioned, but the Oneida and Western Green Trains ran down the W&A. I believe they were headed to that same plant in South Carolina which was previously mentioned.

They ran in the L&N days. I didn't see anything for them come up in the library, seaching OW and for Oneida. That part makes it a much bigger project than just a CSX train.

Trains Magazine had an article about them somewhat recently. Certainly within the last two years.

James

[landnrr]

The O&W trains ran down the K&A to Cartersville and then on the W&A to Atlanta on their way to South Carolina. There were 8 SD40-2's painted O&W and they ran 4 on each train along with an O&W caboose. There was also a remote controlled switcher at the loadout painted the same colors and lettered for Shamrock Coal.

Jay