I’ve been watching the operations video on setting up the WSSB with Tony Koester. That kicked off a couple questions in my head, since they are essentially settig it up for single train operations essentially as the terminal of a small branch.
So what if, instead, it were a town along a busy through line. For the sake of discussion, let’s assume there’s either staging at each end or a big hidden loop staging somewhere. How would operations be set up differently? Would it be served by a way freight from each direction? Where each crew does it’s own set outs and pick ups? Or would there be a switcher stationed in town to handle the local work and prep cuts of cars to be picked up by trains from the appropriate end?
And since we’re assuming a working line through town, how would that affect operations since you couldn’t just shove cars somewhere down the line and leave them while switching all day?
Would be interesting to see another video by Tony on how that would work.
Assume the railroad subdivision runs A to Z and station in question is M. Pick one option from the menu below (they are mutually exclusive).
Tri-weekly service : One local operates over the road, north one day and south the next, and switches the M in a different direction on alternating days. Requires one operating crew. The local would switch all the industries that needed a switch that day and carry the pulls with it to its terminating yard.
Double daily service : One local operates in each direction each day, requires 2 crews and they alternate tie up locations and directions each day. Locals would spot cars in their trains aor left at M and pull outbound cars going in thier direction or available when the local runs.
Turn : On train operates from A or Z to some intermediate point on a route that includes M, turn and return to their origin the same day. They would switch trailing point industries in one direction and the other industries on the return. They would take all the pulls back to the origin.
Dedicated switcher : Trains make a straight set out and or pick up and the switcher does all the spots and pulls.
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And since we’re assuming a working line through town, how would that affect operations since you couldn’t just shove cars somewhere down the line and leave them while switching all day?
As far as switching on the main line…In my experience the DS would give us a work window with instruction to check in 15 minutes before our window expired and it was not unusual to have to clear up so he could run his trains. Of course on a double track main he ran his trains around us with a radio warning the East or Westbound main was going to be hot so,be alert for on coming trains.
If the town has several rail served industries that is located on one or more industrial branches then switch crews would be assigned to that town.
OTOH if these industries is located along the main line then a local would switch these industries. If runaround moves is needed the conductors I worked with would switch these industries on our return trip this saves a lot of unneeded work and time. You see when you need to cross over you need permission to do so from the DS since you are fouling both mains you may have to wait 30 or more minutes on that other man to go by.
We seldom left our train on a siding simply because we would need to make a reverse move with some poor soul riding the side of the last car back to our train.
Thanks for the replies guys. Didn’t mean to take quite so long, but did you ever post a thread and then lose where you posted it? For some reason my head kept connecting “Southbound” with MRVP comments rather than here in the forums.