Greg,
If memory serves me right the coal chute was at
Stockholm.
BTW, your photo of Alma was interesting because it
showed me land that is not there anymore. Just about
everything on the river side is gone. The foundations
of the water tanks are holding on to a small area of
soil, otherwise it's just about all rip-rap down to
the end of the lock.
Why? Barges. Dam #4, (Alma) is the widest on the upper
Mississippi. The lock is tucked in right along the
Railroad. If you can picture the Railroad as straight
North-South the channel comes in from the Northwest
aiming down fairly straight from Wabasha. In the Spring
with a good healthy flow all the gates will be open.
The big movement of water on the West side of the main
channel is not much of a problem but the middle and
East side come straight down and get diverted by the
East bank and then has to turn towards the middle to
get to the gates. No water is normally flowing through
the lock. If the flow is so high that they use the lock
to move water then the river is not navigable.
A barge coming downstream has to run so the head of the
tow is almost to the East bank and then turn straight
to match the lock opening. At that point the current
force is from the bank towards the gates. As you can
imagine this takes skill and luck and they don't always
make it. If the current pulls the head of the tow beyond
the lock entrance towards the gates the towboat's rear
end will be up against the bank. With their diesel-
electric drive and steerable propellers they can usually
get out of that position but it take hours and eats away
a lot of bank.
After Cochrane was closed Alma was my new headquarters.
One Spring morning a tow had overshot and the towboat
was against one of the water tank foundations A cup of
coffee on the desk looked like it was in an ultrasound
with the little peaks all over the surface. Think I
probably lost a couple fillings that day. I should have
just gone home but I made the mistake of telling the
Dispatcher and then we ended up with the Roadmaster out
there and the debate about taking the Eastward track out
of service. Once that started I would have been needed
and I ended up staying for a full eight hours. Dummy!
The next day they dumped rip-rap and that was more than
eight hours. Double dummy!
BTW, depot at Alma was destroyed in a derailment before
I moved to that area.
Russ
----- Original Message -----
From: Greg Smith
To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, 04 March, 2004 08:41
Subject: [CBQ] Re: some more photos
Hello,
I thought of that after I posted the photos, but on my slooow 56k, it
seemed like a lot of time to make the corrections. I figured you guys
would know they were titled backwards anyways. I know there are some
more photos from this collection from the cab including one going
through the coal chute at Bay City or Hager City...wherever it was.
I'll certainly post them when I find them. Not sure about any more
ariel photos. I'll get in touch with Jim who lives in Fairmont MN and
see.
BTW, I love all your comments about all the things in the photos.
Keep them coming.
Greg Smith / Apple Valley MN
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