Coal Chute

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Upon doing some research on the Hollins, Heflin & Sylacauga Railroad that connected with the CofG in Hollins, AL. and went up through Clay County, I found two or three maps that had a place called Coal Chute on the CofG between Goodwater and Kellyton. Seems like it was closer to Kellyton than Goodwater. I've never heard anyone speak of this place. Does anyone have any information about Coal Chute???

-- Dale E. Burns (burns186@bellsouth.net), August 28, 2002

Answers

Below is a personal email I received from Tom Holley about the Coal Chute subject. It is copied here with his permission.

Read on, and be happy! : - )

Hello again, Dale. The line from Columbus to Birmingham has seen rebuilding, so that probably accounts for the MP variances. The old coal chute was at Soleo, and was retired when the new coal chute was built at Goodwater.

My grandfather was a section foreman...hired out in 1908 and retired in 1959. He told me of several realignments that took place over the years. From the engines, especially in winter, you can see where a lot of the old right of way was.

As I'm sure you know, the Dadeville loop was originally the mainline. There is also visible evidence of old right of way between Camp Hill and North Dadeville, and at Gold Ridge. The old track alignment coming into Goodwater is also visible. As you get into the mountains, there aren't too many changes...too expensive up there!

CYO is the Centralized Yard Operations center in Atlanta. They now assign our work at the Bowater paper mill. Two of the three CSX agents are gone; one remains to get yard checks since that place is so spread out. I expect he'll be gone once everything begins to run smoothly.

Regards, Tom Holley

-- Dale Burns (burns186@bellsouth.net), September 05, 2002.


Here is the URL for the map where I found the town, or placa, Coal Chute. You'll have to copy and past the URL into your address bar. Then zoom the map in on the NorthEast corner of Coosa County, Alabama in East Central Alabama and look between Goodwater and Kellyton.

http://130.160.120.30/sid/bin/show_sid.plx? client=railroads&image=Railroad1870a.sid

-- Dale E. Burns (burns186@bellsouth.net), August 29, 2002.


Yep, I thought about that also. And yes, you got exactly what I was trying to say :-) I do know exactly where the depot was in Kellyton. I don't know of any realignments of the tracks between there and Goodwater, but your comments make a lot of sence.

-- Dale E. Burns (burns186@bellsouth.net), August 28, 2002.

Dale,

If I am getting the drift of your comment it is that today the passing siding in the middle Goodwater is at 375.x, where the number I posted was about 5 miles larger, 380. Today 380 is closer to Hollins.

I would chalk up the difference to grade realigments. Afer all, the higher number comes from a date only a decade or so after the line to Birmingham was finished.

Since then there have been several realignments just between Columbus and Birmingham. The ones I remember right now are Waverly, which knocked probably no more than an mile of the route, and Dadeville, which is much more significant (and the one near Walco that you were 'skeeter bait walking recently! But it would not affect Goodwater numbers.)

I have a chart (not on me right now) that I believe could be used to estimate how much distance was saved in bypassing Dadeville and creating the Dadeville loop. Probably an NS Employee Timetable tells this, too.

Also, wouldn't all realignments between Savannah and Goodwater come into play? The shift to S&A trackage in the 50's cut some distance off the Savannah to Macon, which moved Columbus close to Savannah, which moved Goodwater closer to Savannah.

Does anyone know the current MP for Macon and Columbus? Could compare to historical. Anyhow, my guess is Goodwater is now five rail miles closer to Savannah than it was.

You should be able to estimate the location, though. I don't know of any major realigment between Goodwater and Kellyton (except US 280), so you could estimate the location of Coal Shute by subtracting five miles from its historical location.

Another estimate, maybe more accurate, is to say it is two rail miles west of Kellyton and try to find it from there. I doubt there has been enough change in the grade near Kellyton to cause you to be off more than a few hundred feet or so. This assumes you know where in Kellyton the dept was, of course, which I bet you do.

Was that your question or did the real question whiz right over my head??

Ron. Wright

-- Ron. Wright (ron@cofg.org), August 28, 2002.


Ok, that being said brings up another question. You state that Goodwater was at MP 380 and Coal Chute was at MP 375. The Hwy. 9 bridge over the main and passing siding in the middle of town in Goodwater is marked 375.? and the East end of the siding is marked at MP 374.2, so that would make MP 380 on toward Hollins and Trammells since Trammells is at the 384.9. Another member sent me a direct email stating that supposedly there was a older wooden coal chute in Soleo, AL. that would put it around where the old maps are showing. He said that from what he gathered, the older one was torn down the new larger one was built in Goodwater, which again is at the 357 mile post.

-- Dale E. Burns (burns186@bellsouth.net), August 28, 2002.


Dale,

According to the 1898 Stations List, you are absolutely correct on the location of Coal Chute station. Coal Chute was at milepost P 375, between Kellyton, P 373, and Goodwater, P 380.

Coal Chute Details:
Station No: P375
Siding Capacity: 50 cars
Services: None
Telegraph Call: None
Agent: None

P.S. I have typed in all 528 entries from the 1898 Station List and put them in an online database. I need to finish the GUI and then people can use it.

Ron. Wright

-- Ron. Wright (ron@cofg.org), August 28, 2002.


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