The recent discussion of green or other marked coal brings up
another question about white CB&Q coal. In Burlington
Bulletin #23 on pages 102 and 103 is shown the 3 chute open
top wooden coal container beside the track. The text states
that this was filled with the steam powered clamshell behind
the locomotives. I can remember this complete complex south of the
roundhouse here at Burlington, Ia. The dates shown on the photos
are 1948 thru 1951. Sometimes the overhead container was filled
by the clamshell directly from the coal car shown
but when there was still coal in the car it was piled on
the ground to fill the upper bin later. At times
there might be a pile of coal 20 feet high which was sprayed
with some type of white material so the railroad would know
if somebody was taking coal leaving a black area indicating
the theft. Was this procedure practiced any where else back in
the good old days of real railroading?
Jim Ewinger Burlington, Ia.
JWEING@W...
|