An old head explains how to sort cars

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

Maybe in the 70s or early 80s, MRR had a column where, in one issue, the columnist described a get together with fellow modelers. He explained his method for sorting cars destined for different places. A old prototype employee described a much simpler method that was actually used on a real railroad. I remember the old guy was quoted as saying “you have to remember railroading is a walking game”. There was a black and white cartoon of the old fellow, maybe smoking a pipe. I could always find it by flipping old issues, but my collection of old MRRs were destroyed during a Hurricane Irene flood. Old tables of contents indexed on this MRR website don’t help, so I’m not convinced the back issue CDs will help either.

Anybody know what issue I want?

2

Found by search of 75 Year CD for “railroading is a walking game”

Lessons from a Retired Railroader - Switching Prototype Style by Alan L Bates December 1979 Model Railroader

3

And there is a lot of walking but,it wasn’t uncommon to swing on a car or the locomotive to save time. Also we would never move cars we didn’t have too.

That article is a good read on switching cars.

4

Wow, thanks very much. MRR doesn’t have any more, but I found one on Amazon.