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Re: Meat trains

To: BRHSlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: Meat trains
From: "liljop" <wulrich@a...>
Date: Sat, 05 Jan 2002 17:39:10 -0000
In-reply-to: <39.206c1e9b.2967de0d@a...>
User-agent: eGroups-EW/0.82
--- In BRHSlist@y..., KPMF16@a... wrote:
> Warren,
>

> 7 AM. I don't know the numbers of the eastward manifests through 
Ottumwa before 1968 but I'd like to.
> 

in 1963-67 timeframe would of been GI68 (grand island) and LW68 
(lines west)and LC (lincoln-chicago) and LPB (lincoln piggy back).
the 68's arrived in ottumwa 2-6pm window and the 70's (LC & LPB) 
arrived 1201a - 6am (there was NO 1200midnite or 1200 noon on the rr, 
time goes from 1159 to 1201)
meat shipments - morrells had their own engine and crews, meat would 
start coming out around noon. their engine would shove out anywhere 
from 4-6-8 or more loads then grab some empties, refers, or a hide 
car, blood car or tallow tank and zip back into their plant. well zip 
is not really accurate, trudge or creep or limp would be a little 
closer to the truth. yardmasters and clerks kept real close watch on 
the happenings at iowa ave, where morrells was located. (always had 
the impression morrells kept pretty close track of where our trains 
were at too, probably had a hot line to dispatcher.)usually crossing 
flagman at iowa ave would call the yards with info on meat out and if 
he was nice the car numbers, west to east. so what meat was out, went 
on first available train, unless we had orders to let first one go by 
and work second one. may of been tonnage or try not to delay as 
trying to make galesburg at a certain time. usually 1/68, GI68, would 
get what meat that was out, if sw engine had time to pull milwaukee 
transfer and get the hot john deere loads, they would go on the 1/68. 
ideally 1/68 would hit town about 4pm, that gave the 2:30-3:00 sw 
engine time to work milw transfer, get meat loads, get uptown to tofc 
ramp at green st and pull it. usually trains had some ottumwa cars 
buried in consist, for example, 6 ahead of 18 on rearend. would get 
the 6 out and put morrell meat/john deere flats in where these came 
out. then sw engine would hold the slack and give them a shove out to 
yard limit sign, to help them up the hill. (have a tale ill post 
sometime about yard limit sign) this would happen with 2/68 also, get 
what meat that was out and put on it too. sometimes there was a 3/68, 
but not common. 
between the 68's and the 70's there was 78. a pjct(believe it was 
pjct don't think it was bluffs) to galesburg train. left pjct arrive 
creston abt 10p-midnite, was torn apart, worked and left creston 
after #18 (CZ) did local work between creston and ottumwa, arrived 
ahead of 1/68. torn apart in south yard and worked getting out 
ottumwa/des moines cars. was ordered after last 68 left, usually 
ordered 8pm. what meat that had came out after the 68's had gone and 
any other loads from rock island transfer, milw transfer went on it. 
78 had a burlington setout and also got any hot cars for any stations 
between ottumwa and galesburg
then same routine for the 70's during the middle of the night. not as 
much meat at night, most went on 68's and 78. but there WAS meat at 
night for the 70's just not as heavy. (second shift yard clerk got 
paid more than other shifts because of morrell meat) so morrell meat 
went on 5 trains on the average day.

sorry, got to rambling, will stop

>
> Do you have any idea what trains took meat out of Ottumwa via 
refrigerated TOFC in the 60's?
> 
> Ken

as mentioned what tofc traffic there was went on 68's or 78. plus 
might of been some on 70's. BUT, don't recall that much tofc traffic, 
yes some from green st., but not alot.

sorry this got so long, grey matter was firing today

warren


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