--- In CBQ@yahoogroups.com, qutlx1@... wrote:
>
> I am enjoying Vol 3 of John Strauss' work on Q passenger service. But
> something caught my eye.
>
> Look at the photo on bottom of page 13. There are at least 16 cars of So
> ILL finest coal sitting on track 6 in the west yard,even a couple "flats"
> still in service. Having worked there that means this is material with local
> destination(s). What or which industries served by locals out of Eola in
> 1963 could have used 16 cars of coal ?
I think it's Rockford coal; probably a 181 pick-up to set-out at Flag Center for the Rockford Wayfreight. On Sunday nights, 181 had the "honor" of hauling it up the branch to Rockford (no Rockford WF on Sundays).
>
> All the city power plants were gone,even the big Aurora plant, all heavy
> industries had converted to gas. If this was coal for the North or west it
> would have gone there via Galesburg. If it was coal awaiting final billing
> or was stored in transit it would have been buried over on the higher #d
> tracks. If going to the "J' it would be in the east yard. OK it might be in a
> x/o dose for the east yard.
>
> Speaking of which,get your magnifying glass out and look over the top of
> the thrid coal car from the right. That's a fire on about track 8 or 9 with
> a human figure nearby ? I can't believe a Q employee would build a fire in
> the middle of an active classification yard ?
Probably a flaw in the negative or slide; if not, maybe some car toads were burning some of KD West's or M. Scheller's scrap.
>
> Also nice view of the old west rip in the background.
>
> Leo Phillipp
>
RC