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From: "Ron" rdukarm AT roadrunner DOT com
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:57:57 -0400
Subject: Re: (erielack) 54 Years Ago - DL&W puts radios on its freights
"Coal_Letter_12-18-36.jpg" - image/jpeg, 1631x2262 (24bit)

>I find it very interesting that the end portion of the article describes
> loading a shipment of coal from the Lackawanna's dumper in Buffalo for
> delivery to the Niagara Mohawk power plant on River Road. That can't be
> more
> than 6 or 7 miles from the coal dock. I wonder how far an "average" coal
> shipment went from Buffalo?
>
> Michael Mang

Mike,

Up to Feb 1937, the ICC had some regs in place which made for some
irrational and uneconimic coal shipments. A case in point is Republic Steel
in Buffalo, where the DL&W had a yard immediately adjacent to the plant. If
Republic ordered coal from Scranton, it would pay (for example) $4.00 a ton
to have it shipped by an all-rail route to the plant. BUT, if they received
it by rail and boat (lake cargo rate), it was $.50 cheaper per ton. So, what
was happening, Republic, Bethlehem Steel, Donner-Hanna, Niagara Mohawk, Fort
Erie (Canada) locations, etc (large companies located on Buffalo area
waterways) would order their coal by lake-cargo rates and specify that it be
delived by lake freighter.

In the case of Republic, the coal would be delivered to the DL&W Abby Road
Yard next to Republic. It would then be hauled 2 miles to the DL&W's coal
dumper on the Buffalo River and dumped into a freighter, then two tugs would
be called and the freighter hauled 2 miles back up river to Republic, to be
unloaded by Huletts.

This irrational system was finally undone by a new ICC ruling in February
1937 which stated that the lake-cargo rate would only apply to coal going
beyond the port of shipment after April 22nd. See the attached newspaper
clipping.

Also prior to 1937, the local companies would still order any coal they
needed in the winter months (beyond their stock pile needs) by lake-cargo.
This caused all kinds of problems as the Buffalo River would freeze up and
need ice breakers, the coal would freeze and not dump (causing the RR to
heat up cars) and the DL&W would loose down time to make repairs or
improvements to the dumper. In addition, the DL&W would lay off many of its
dumper employees or reassign them, plus shut down the boilers due to less
dumping. In the attached letter (thanks to Pat McKnight) from Superintendent
Alexander to the home office, you can see the impact on operations. Some day
I plan to write an article on this whole subject.

Ron Dukarm


Coal_Letter_12-18-36.jpg

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