When I worked as an Agent-Operator more than 50 years ago, the railroads’ agency was the center of its local operations. We billed outgoing freight, billed and collected freight revenue for incoming freight, ordered cars for loading from the division car distributor, and if it was an interchange point, we prepared the interchange reports and sent 'em in to the Car Accountant. Too, if there was an overhead load delivered to a connection, we’d report such loads. (That’s a load on which my railroad was an intermediate carrier. Such reports to the Freight Auditor were to ensure we’d get our part of the revenue, since we neither originated nor terminated the load.) We also accounted for revenue we collected, and prepared and billed for demurrage. We’d send out waybills for all carload frieght we billed. We’d weigh cars if there was a scale at our station. We’d check the yard and prepare switch lists for the local or the road-switcher. My question: how is all this stuff handled today when there are no local agencies? How does a shipper arrange to have his bill of lading received by the railroad company? Who keeps up with demurrage? Where does a conductor find a waybill for a car picked up at some local station? Who does the interchange reports?
Most of it is done by computer from a centralized Customer Service center. What little field clerical work remains, is usually done by the Yardmaster or Trainmaster.
The conductor should have waybills with his work order for any work performed enroute. Or the waybill will be avalable where he picks the car up. There are circumstances where non-dangerous empty cars may be moved with out a waybill.
Nick