AN Towne and CP loco fuel

I came across the following two pieces of correspondence today from copies of the Huntington microfilm records. They add light to a number of issues that we have been discussing in recent weeks.

Larry Mullaly

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1. AN Towne to CP Huntington, January 21, 1870

You ask about fuel. I am fully aware expenses for fuel on our road are enormous and it has been my aim ever since my arrive here to economize as much as possible in this one particular...

On the Western Road we are using coal almost wholly. It costs us from Mt. Diablo coal mines delivered here at Sacramento and at San Francisco $8 per ton coin which is the very best figure I could make.

You may or may not be aware that we have some 4 1/2 or 5 miles of iron laid from what what was known as "Corral Hollow" station up to a point where we have been getting out gravel. I spent the entire day with Mr. Crocker last Monday going up Corral Hollow to the coal mines. We found good coal and I should say in abundance and I have urged upon our people the importance of laying down some light iron from the end of the gravel track to the mines which would be about 8 miles. The grading most of the way is light running up the creek. This will give us some considerable freight to transport over other portions of our line also giving us cheaper fuel for the Western and San Joaquin Roads. From what I could judge of the coal and what we have been using from these mines for the past few months I should say it was nearly as good as the Mount Diablo. It costs us $6 at the present time teaming and all at the end of the track.

We have also changed our switching engine at Ogden to burn coal and are at the present time changing two passenger engines and shall gradually work into coal on the East Division. We are, at present, paying $2 for the coal and are paying the UP folks $3 for transportation from the mines (which are some three miles from the main track near Evanston to Ogden.

I should be glad if you could bring anything to bear that would give us a less rate on the transportation of this coal over the UP road.

Yours etc.

AN Towne
Genl. Superintendent

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2. AN Towne to CP Huntington, Feb. 21, 1870

Sir,

Yours of the 11th arrived.

As we are now paying $3.50 per ton on coal from Evanston to Ogden I would be very glad if you could make accnt. [??] and a half for tone per mile arrangement with them for transportation.

At the present time we have one switcher at Ogden fitted for coal and one passenger engine will be out in a few days, another one in a few weeks, and probably within 8 or ten weeks we will have 5 engines all told ready for burning coal. The present amount of business on the Division between Ogden and Toano will require about 23 tons per day when the five engines [are in use??]. [With the?] business increase which we hope for requiring 2 freights a day each way, we would require 32 tons per day. In the course of 8 or 10 months should we conclude to burn coal between Toano and Winnemucca it would probably require about 33 additional tons per day for that division.

I should say that we will want more than 30 to 40 tons per day from May 1st to December 31, 1870. By that time we should know what success we had in burning it on the Salt Lake Division and might feel justified in changing our engines to burn it between Toano and Winnemucca.

Yours,

AN Towne