Saturday, November 6, 2021

SCS/(YDC+PCCX) Coal Hauling Railroads and Yankeetown Dock

Coal Loading Dock: (Satellite)
Engine House: (Satellite, I saw three locomotives parked outside)

YDC = Yankeetown Dock Corp. Railroad
PCCX = Peabody Coal Company Railroad
SCS = Squaw Creek Coal - "Squaw Creek Southern"

A copy of a topo map that is not marked up.
1961 Evansville and 1966 Vincennes Quadrangles @ 1:250,000

In this copy I added a yellow line to highlight the YDC route from Southern to the river. And a blue line to highlight the PCCX route between Southern and a Big Four spur. Both of these routes are now owned by the SCS.
1961 Evansville and 1966 Vincennes Quadrangles @ 1:250,000 plus Paint

The YDC was obviously built to serve the Yankeetown Coal Dock. Alcoa built an aluminum smelting plant by the railroad and the Ohio River. That plant has its own power plant because smelting aluminum requires a lot of  electricity. It is interesting how the coal markets and transportation costs can change the direction of coal transport. The Yankeetown Coal Dock would load barges whereas both power plants can unload barges. And the Warrick Power Plant can receive coal from the YDC as well as from barges. But I see that the RB Culley Generating Station doesn't receive coal by rail, just by barge.
Satellite

The YDC not only interchanged with Southern, it served some coal mines along its route. The topo map shows a spur to the east for the Old Victoria Coal Mine. It also served the New Victoria Coal Mine. The PCCX probably served the Peabody Wild Boar Mine and the Peabody & Squaw Creek Wild Boar Coal Mine. Now both of these railroads form the SCS, and it continues to serve the coal mines in the area. NS and Indiana Southern Railroad (ISRR) share the SCS route that was PCCX and NS shares the SCS route that was YDC. [2005 SPV Map]



2 comments:

  1. Spent some time at Yankeeyown Dock in the early 1980’s. RB Culley Generating Station could receive coal from via Yankeetown dock by truck. Yankeetown dock had a couple off road tandem axle end dumps of about 34-45 end dumps (believe one was a Mack and the other was a Spartan). The trucks would pull coal from the belt line loading barges via a mechanical arm that would allow coal to fill the trucks from the same belt line as fed the barges.

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    Replies
    1. Trucks were of about 34-45 tons capacity

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