For a sense of realism, is rolling stock generally random, or is there a “basic” sequence of freight cars from locomotive to caboose?
What about a passenger train (using an E-7 Locomotive)? Lastly, what is an “RPO” car?
Thanks,
Jeff
In terms of car type it is a free for all. There are some exceptions. Haz-mat cars generally cannot be placed next to any occupied locomotive or car or anything that has a possible ignition source. If the train will be making setouts at yards along its route, the cars will be blocked according to where they will be set out. If the route that the train will be taking that will cause the train to be subject to stringlining, empties will be kept at the rear.
Passenger consists are usually baggage cars and RPO’s (Railway Post Offices - not used since the mid-60’s) followed by coaches, then a dining car, then the sleepers. Older trains usually had an observation car at the end, current era passenger trains do not.
If you’re talking E units, then you’re talking about (at least) the transitional period. There WERE rules back then. Without getting into too much detail, here are the highlights (that I can remember):
Loaded stock cars at the front of the train.
Iced, full reefers after any full stock cars, but at the front of thr train.
TOFC cars either at the front or the back of the train, depending on the road (for example, the NKP prefered the front of the train, while the IC preferred the back. Both ran TOFC behind steamers!)
Flat cars and gons with shiftable loads were put near the center of the train, so if the load shifted (which happened quite frequently) nothing would spear either the engine or caboose crew.
In general, flat cars near the end of the train.
Other than these few general rules, yeah, cars were pretty much arranged at random. Before full dieselization, the rise in labor wages, and the rail industry’s pu***o cut costs, yards were everywhere (about 100 miles apart or so). Yard crews would slap a car into a train that was heading in the right direction, and worry about someone else cutting it out and spotting it in its final destination. Remember, there was no added value to the railroad to preblock everything nice & tidy like we tend to do in the modelling world.
As for passenger trains, the general arrangement went like this (including every major car type, I think):
RPOs were ALWAYS at the front of the train, and always faced in the same direction (in addition, the train crew was NOT authorized entrance to the RPOs. They were manned by USPS personnel, the cars were locked, and the post office agents were armed)
Express reefers and boxcars.
Mail storage cars.
Baggage cars.
Coaches.
Diners.
Pullmans.
Business cars & PVs.
[:)]
Thank you!
Jeff
Mixed trains from years ago would have a passenger car at the rear of the train - frequently doubled as the caboose - sometimes the caboose had seat for the passengers. That way switching moves for the freight cars would not involve the passengers.
Enjoy
Paul
Good question Jeff: RPO’s carried mail and sorted it when train was travelling, they actually had a mail slot on the side of the car where you could mail a letter. I think each Railway had it’s own consist of car location in a train, but they sort of followed a fairly common rule(as above).
Very informative post! Nice job orsonroy. What does TOFC stand for?
TOFC = Trailer On Flat Car (Piggybacks)