Buchanan Fuel Krypton Tipple

Buchanan Fuel did own and operate this tipple but not until after 1982. The tipple was constructed by Aceco, often called Ace Coal but actually standing for Adams-Clemons Energy Company, the brainchild of Andy Adams and Buggy Clemons. It was constructed to service new business with Dayton Power and Light with coal going north to Olgebay Norton’s Licking River Terminal at Covington for movement to the J.M Stuart Power Plant near Aberdeen, OH on the Ohio River. DPL signed long-term contracts with three L&N mines at the same time and Aceco was awarded 600K tons per year from December 1975 through December 1981 and then 1.2 million tons per year after January 1982. DPL purchased two train sets of CCDX hoppers for this operation. Aceco got into a dispute with the L&N over rates and used truck transportation up to their own barge loader near Maysville, KY starting in late 1976 but still loaded here at a lowered volume. L&N called this loadout “Bessie”.

In 1979, Aceco sold their Ohio River barge transloader to Trans-Kentucky Transportation (TTI) and went back to using Bessie for 100% of their output. After getting the rate relief, Aceco built a new loadout at Typo to handle the larger volume and support other business while this loadout was then sold to Buchanan Fuel. The railroad continued to call this “Bessie” however Buchanan referred to it as the “Picadilly Tipple”. Aceco and sister operations known as Pro-Land & Polls Creek Coal were all taken over by Kaneb/Transco and operated under Interstate Coal Company. Later the Williams Companies, James River, Leslie Resources, Arch, ICG Hazard, etc. Today Typo is still very active under Blackhawk Mining operating as their Pine Branch Mining subsidiary while Bessie is but a memory.