The Gorre Peddler
In the early 1960’s the Gorre & Daphetid RR operated with an out-and-back
main line. From Port the Peddler ran westbound over the completed River
Subdivision to Gorre. The usual locomotive designated for the Gorre Peddler
was 2-6-6-2 #38. Because the turntable at Gorre was only 54 feet, #38 could
not be turned.
In April of 2008 Rod Smith related on the Yahoo group website how the
Gorre Peddler spent half it's life running tender first:
Yahoo Group Website #7324
Turning the Gorre Peddler
April 2, 2008
“… there was no way to turn
the engine at Gorre. It did turn
around at Port … it would pull
into town, drop it's cars and run
around the loop so as to back
down on the cars awaiting its'
departure. It would also pick up
the caboose, which, of course,
was immediately available
being on the rear of the train it
has just dropped. It left Port
and proceeded to Gorre
regardless if the tender was
leading or the pilot. Spent half
its life running tender first!…”
Rod Smith Yardmaster, Great Divide, 1964-65
The Gorre Peddler operated as an
unscheduled extra in order to make local
pickups and deliveries. It spotted cars at
Sowbelly, Squawbottom and Cross Junction.
It set out cars and picked up assembled
consists at Port but car spotting and assembly
of consists for forwarding was handled by the
local yard engineer. At Gorre the branch line
engineer spotted cars and assembled consists
for forwarding. The Gorre Peddler made as
many round trips as it could while avoiding
the scheduled traffic.
Sowbelly required switching from both
directions. Squawbottom was complicated
by the need to clear cars parked at the two
industries on the passing siding (Technologies
Inc. and Clymate Chemicals) to facilitate
meets and passes with scheduled traffic. Squawbottom could be further
congested as it was used to store cars when local industrial tracks were
occupied.
The Gorre Peddler’s motive power, 2-6-6-2 #38, could pull only 13 cars up
the grades from Squawbottom to Port or Gorre and could departed Gorre
with a maximum of 26 cars, the limit for Sims Loop, for the downgrade run
to Squawbottom.
Slow and fast freights connected Gorre and Port to Great Divide and
operated in conjunction with the Gorre Peddler on the River Subdivision. On
the Gorre & Daphetid slow and fast freights were distinguished by the
nature of their consists. Fast freights hauled predominantly box cars.
Although their consists could be augmented with reefers fast freights could
not haul other car types. On the other hand, slow freights could not haul
box cars but could haul all other types of cars.
