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1 - 8 of 8
Unloading Gondolas was:Coal In Gondolas Etc
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Walter M. Clark
Not just high school kids. In Tony Thompson's book "Southern Pacific
Freight Cars, Volume 1: Gondolas and Stock Cars" there's a Chet McCoid photo taken April 10, 1952 in San Saba, Texas showing some well-past high school guys hand unloading a gondola of what appears to be sand. I sure wouldn't want to be helping them <g>. Walter M. Clark Time stopped in November 1941 Riverside, California --- In STMFC@..., Ted Schnepf <railsunl@...> wrote: loader. <snip the rest>
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Dennis Storzek <dstorzek@...>
--- In STMFC@..., "wmcclark1980" <walterclark@...> wrote:
Younger, too. In many parts of the country child labor laws were observed almost as stringently as the rule that empty boxcar doors must be closed. In one installment of his "North Dakota Memories" series in The SOO, the magazine of the Soo Line Historical & Technical Society, Les Kruta relates how in the thirties he and his brother had a lock on the job of unloading boxcars of coal for the local elevator. If I recall the article correctly (and I'm not digging it out) Les was ten and his brother was eight. They were paid a dime a ton to unload the car IIRC, so a forty ton car would net them $4, but if they held the car more than the two free days, the demurrage was deducted from their pay. Les mentions that they really liked when cars came in on Thursday, as the weekend gave them two extra free days to do the job. Tools were regular coal scoops and a wheelbarrow to move the coal from the ends of the car. Les mentions that the shed had been constructed back in the days of 30 and 35 ton capacity cars, and to get 40 tons of coal in the shed they'd have to push it up between the rafters. Often times the elevator manager would sell some right off the car so this wouldn't be necessary. Dennis
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PBowers <waiting@...>
At 11:38 PM 8/7/06, you wrote:
Tools were regular coal scoops and a wheelbarrow to move the coal fromAny coal yard I was involved with preferred loading direct from rail car to trucks etc. Having to unload to shed and then reload to vehicles from a pile was more expensive but considering we received most coal locally by ship, most coal was loaded from the piles anyway. It was only after coal ceased to be shipped in by water that rail shipments increased but by that time coal used locally was down to a few hundred tons. Generally, it was put in the coal shed and the car was released......just as demurrage was about to be charged. Peter Bowers -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.7/411 - Release Date: 8/7/06
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Miller, Andrew S. <asmiller@...>
It as been my contention for some time that the low side gondola was
done in by the minimum wage law! regards, Andy Miller ________________________________ From: STMFC@... [mailto:STMFC@...] On Behalf Of wmcclark1980 Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 4:19 PM To: STMFC@... Subject: [STMFC] Re: Unloading Gondolas was:Coal In Gondolas Etc Not just high school kids. In Tony Thompson's book "Southern Pacific Freight Cars, Volume 1: Gondolas and Stock Cars" there's a Chet McCoid photo taken April 10, 1952 in San Saba, Texas showing some well-past high school guys hand unloading a gondola of what appears to be sand. I sure wouldn't want to be helping them <g>. Walter M. Clark Time stopped in November 1941 Riverside, California --- In STMFC@... <mailto:STMFC%40yahoogroups.com> , Ted Schnepf <railsunl@...> wrote: > > Hi Mike and List, > > Coal was loaded into boxcars even in Indiana. I have a plan for a > new coal mine tipple being built on the Milw (possibly also joint > with Monon or C&EI) in the late 1950's and one track has a boxcar loader. > > As for unloading flat bottom gons, a shovel and a high school kid > working cheap are just fine. I have a friend, who is a baby boomer, > and his first paying job, off the farm in Wisconsin, was a Saturday > with a scoop shovel, unloading a gon of coal at the local coal > dealer. this was in the mid 1960's. > > current readers tend to forget in the classic era of this list, hand > shoveling or hand unloading of product was very common. Labor was > cheaper and more ready to tackle these sort of jobs. > > Ted <snip the rest>
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Steve Sandifer <jssand@...>
All over Iowa and Kansas you will find track side coal sheds like this one:
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
http://atsfrr.net/resources/Sandifer/Howard/Hamilton/Coal/Index.htm A Gondola would be parked on one side, the roof hatches of the shed opened, and the coal was shoveled by hand into it. The hardest part was getting one cut from top to bottom. Thereafter unloading was easier. These bins were usually on the house track and make an easy industry to add that takes little space on a layout. http://users2.ev1.net/~jssand/SFJct/CoOpC.htm I visited with the owner of the grain elevator in Moline, KS. He ordered about 3 gondolas of coal a year to be delivered to municipal buildings and schools in the area. Those were unloaded directly from gondola to truck and delivered, also a feature of the house track. ______________ J. Stephen (Steve) Sandifer mailto:steve.sandifer@... Home: 12027 Mulholland Drive, Meadows Place, TX 77477, 281-568-9918 Office: Southwest Central Church of Christ, 4011 W. Bellfort, Houston, TX 77025, 713-667-9417
----- Original Message -----
From: Miller, Andrew S. To: STMFC@... Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2006 12:27 AM Subject: RE: [STMFC] Re: Unloading Gondolas was:Coal In Gondolas Etc It as been my contention for some time that the low side gondola was done in by the minimum wage law! regards, Andy Miller ________________________________ From: STMFC@... [mailto:STMFC@...] On Behalf Of wmcclark1980 Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 4:19 PM To: STMFC@... Subject: [STMFC] Re: Unloading Gondolas was:Coal In Gondolas Etc Not just high school kids. In Tony Thompson's book "Southern Pacific Freight Cars, Volume 1: Gondolas and Stock Cars" there's a Chet McCoid photo taken April 10, 1952 in San Saba, Texas showing some well-past high school guys hand unloading a gondola of what appears to be sand. I sure wouldn't want to be helping them <g>. Walter M. Clark Time stopped in November 1941 Riverside, California --- In STMFC@... <mailto:STMFC%40yahoogroups.com> , Ted Schnepf <railsunl@...> wrote: > > Hi Mike and List, > > Coal was loaded into boxcars even in Indiana. I have a plan for a > new coal mine tipple being built on the Milw (possibly also joint > with Monon or C&EI) in the late 1950's and one track has a boxcar loader. > > As for unloading flat bottom gons, a shovel and a high school kid > working cheap are just fine. I have a friend, who is a baby boomer, > and his first paying job, off the farm in Wisconsin, was a Saturday > with a scoop shovel, unloading a gon of coal at the local coal > dealer. this was in the mid 1960's. > > current readers tend to forget in the classic era of this list, hand > shoveling or hand unloading of product was very common. Labor was > cheaper and more ready to tackle these sort of jobs. > > Ted <snip the rest>
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Gatwood, Elden J SAD <Elden.J.Gatwood@...>
Steve;
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
Was there a small trestle to elevate the cars enough that they could be unloaded using a small chute (like opening up alternating doors on a Santa Fe drop bottom gon), or did they have to shovel the entire car up and over the side? Those hatches look high, and those working it must've been awfully tired at the end of the day! Thanks for the nice link, Elden Gatwood
-----Original Message-----
From: STMFC@... [mailto:STMFC@...] On Behalf Of Steve Sandifer Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2006 11:48 AM To: STMFC@... Subject: Re: [STMFC] Re: Unloading Gondolas was:Coal In Gondolas Etc All over Iowa and Kansas you will find track side coal sheds like this one: http://atsfrr.net/resources/Sandifer/Howard/Hamilton/Coal/Index.htm A Gondola would be parked on one side, the roof hatches of the shed opened, and the coal was shoveled by hand into it. The hardest part was getting one cut from top to bottom. Thereafter unloading was easier. These bins were usually on the house track and make an easy industry to add that takes little space on a layout. http://users2.ev1.net/~jssand/SFJct/CoOpC.htm I visited with the owner of the grain elevator in Moline, KS. He ordered about 3 gondolas of coal a year to be delivered to municipal buildings and schools in the area. Those were unloaded directly from gondola to truck and delivered, also a feature of the house track. ______________ J. Stephen (Steve) Sandifer mailto:steve.sandifer@... Home: 12027 Mulholland Drive, Meadows Place, TX 77477, 281-568-9918 Office: Southwest Central Church of Christ, 4011 W. Bellfort, Houston, TX 77025, 713-667-9417 ----- Original Message ----- From: Miller, Andrew S. To: STMFC@... Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2006 12:27 AM Subject: RE: [STMFC] Re: Unloading Gondolas was:Coal In Gondolas Etc It as been my contention for some time that the low side gondola was done in by the minimum wage law! regards, Andy Miller ________________________________ From: STMFC@... [mailto:STMFC@...] On Behalf Of wmcclark1980 Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 4:19 PM To: STMFC@... Subject: [STMFC] Re: Unloading Gondolas was:Coal In Gondolas Etc Not just high school kids. In Tony Thompson's book "Southern Pacific Freight Cars, Volume 1: Gondolas and Stock Cars" there's a Chet McCoid photo taken April 10, 1952 in San Saba, Texas showing some well-past high school guys hand unloading a gondola of what appears to be sand. I sure wouldn't want to be helping them <g>. Walter M. Clark Time stopped in November 1941 Riverside, California --- In STMFC@... <mailto:STMFC%40yahoogroups.com> , Ted Schnepf <railsunl@...> wrote: > > Hi Mike and List, > > Coal was loaded into boxcars even in Indiana. I have a plan for a > new coal mine tipple being built on the Milw (possibly also joint > with Monon or C&EI) in the late 1950's and one track has a boxcar loader. > > As for unloading flat bottom gons, a shovel and a high school kid > working cheap are just fine. I have a friend, who is a baby boomer, > and his first paying job, off the farm in Wisconsin, was a Saturday > with a scoop shovel, unloading a gon of coal at the local coal > dealer. this was in the mid 1960's. > > current readers tend to forget in the classic era of this list, hand > shoveling or hand unloading of product was very common. Labor was > cheaper and more ready to tackle these sort of jobs. > > Ted <snip the rest> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Links
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Steve Sandifer <jssand@...>
Shovel, shovel, shovel.
toggle quoted messageShow quoted text
______________ J. Stephen (Steve) Sandifer mailto:steve.sandifer@... Home: 12027 Mulholland Drive, Meadows Place, TX 77477, 281-568-9918 Office: Southwest Central Church of Christ, 4011 W. Bellfort, Houston, TX 77025, 713-667-9417
----- Original Message -----
From: Gatwood, Elden J SAD To: STMFC@... Sent: Thursday, August 10, 2006 6:13 AM Subject: RE: [STMFC] Re: Unloading Gondolas was:Coal In Gondolas Etc Steve; Was there a small trestle to elevate the cars enough that they could be unloaded using a small chute (like opening up alternating doors on a Santa Fe drop bottom gon), or did they have to shovel the entire car up and over the side? Those hatches look high, and those working it must've been awfully tired at the end of the day! Thanks for the nice link, Elden Gatwood -----Original Message----- From: STMFC@... [mailto:STMFC@...] On Behalf Of Steve Sandifer Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2006 11:48 AM To: STMFC@... Subject: Re: [STMFC] Re: Unloading Gondolas was:Coal In Gondolas Etc All over Iowa and Kansas you will find track side coal sheds like this one: http://atsfrr.net/resources/Sandifer/Howard/Hamilton/Coal/Index.htm A Gondola would be parked on one side, the roof hatches of the shed opened, and the coal was shoveled by hand into it. The hardest part was getting one cut from top to bottom. Thereafter unloading was easier. These bins were usually on the house track and make an easy industry to add that takes little space on a layout. http://users2.ev1.net/~jssand/SFJct/CoOpC.htm I visited with the owner of the grain elevator in Moline, KS. He ordered about 3 gondolas of coal a year to be delivered to municipal buildings and schools in the area. Those were unloaded directly from gondola to truck and delivered, also a feature of the house track. ______________ J. Stephen (Steve) Sandifer mailto:steve.sandifer@... Home: 12027 Mulholland Drive, Meadows Place, TX 77477, 281-568-9918 Office: Southwest Central Church of Christ, 4011 W. Bellfort, Houston, TX 77025, 713-667-9417 ----- Original Message ----- From: Miller, Andrew S. To: STMFC@... Sent: Wednesday, August 09, 2006 12:27 AM Subject: RE: [STMFC] Re: Unloading Gondolas was:Coal In Gondolas Etc It as been my contention for some time that the low side gondola was done in by the minimum wage law! regards, Andy Miller ________________________________ From: STMFC@... [mailto:STMFC@...] On Behalf Of wmcclark1980 Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 4:19 PM To: STMFC@... Subject: [STMFC] Re: Unloading Gondolas was:Coal In Gondolas Etc Not just high school kids. In Tony Thompson's book "Southern Pacific Freight Cars, Volume 1: Gondolas and Stock Cars" there's a Chet McCoid photo taken April 10, 1952 in San Saba, Texas showing some well-past high school guys hand unloading a gondola of what appears to be sand. I sure wouldn't want to be helping them <g>. Walter M. Clark Time stopped in November 1941 Riverside, California --- In STMFC@... <mailto:STMFC%40yahoogroups.com> , Ted Schnepf <railsunl@...> wrote: > > Hi Mike and List, > > Coal was loaded into boxcars even in Indiana. I have a plan for a > new coal mine tipple being built on the Milw (possibly also joint > with Monon or C&EI) in the late 1950's and one track has a boxcar loader. > > As for unloading flat bottom gons, a shovel and a high school kid > working cheap are just fine. I have a friend, who is a baby boomer, > and his first paying job, off the farm in Wisconsin, was a Saturday > with a scoop shovel, unloading a gon of coal at the local coal > dealer. this was in the mid 1960's. > > current readers tend to forget in the classic era of this list, hand > shoveling or hand unloading of product was very common. Labor was > cheaper and more ready to tackle these sort of jobs. > > Ted <snip the rest> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Links [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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Malcolm H. Houck
Some roads, D&H, MEC, CNJ regularly used the very low side gondolas for coal,
and indeed they were simply shoveled clean. In some simple references they were called "Shovel Cars..........." Many small trackside businesses had coal bins that opened directly to the track. The shovelers bailed the coal directly into the awaiting bins in those instances. I can recall shovel cars being unloaded at a dealer siding, Preston Coal, in Lowell, Mass., as late as the early 1970s. After the first of the Middle East oil shortages (ca. 1973) there was a huge rush for alternative sources of home heat. Then, cannel coal, in the large layered and stratified chucks was shipped into Preston Coal in the more customarily seen high side gondolas, and in addition to the low side shovel cars. Those big cannel coal chunks were unloaded by hand! Mal Houck
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