Southern Pacific Switching Layout

[Green_Elite_Cab]

CSAO is almost entirely industrial spurs. It doesn't really have anything resembling a mainline (though it may operate over former mainlines or ones owned by either NS or CSX). CSAO's main purpose is to keep railroads competitive by allowing both CSX and NS to do business in particular areas where it is deemed competition is necessary. This includes New Jersey (Primarily the Port Of New Jersey, but also including branches south), and the Detroit area.

In particular, Southern New Jersey is full of isolated spurs. Many have already been sold to shortlines and such, but there is still a CSAO presence across the state.

So would it be prototypical for CSAO to keep an engine on an isolated spur, and then exchange traffic with either CSX or NS on the track leading to the spur?

No. Basically, large Mainline trains from either CSX or NS deliver trains to regional CSAO yards, and from there CSAO drops off and picks up the cars as a "Middle man" between the shipper and NS or CSX. Once the CSAO local arrives back at the local yard, the trains are sorted as usual, but separated by carrier (either NS or CSX, depending on the choice of the shipper).

Neither NS or CSX would bother sending a train out of its way to an isolated spur to pick up the cars, since the branchlike service is the job of CSAO in those regions. However, what you COULD do is model a private railroad that interchanges with CSAO, since this would look EXACTLY the same as what you described. SMS Lines, Southern Railroad of NJ, and Cape May Seashore Lines come to mind. All three operate unusual and colorful locomotives in the kind of "industrial park" setting you're modeling. They WOULD have a switcher parked over on the spur, since the industrial spur IS their railroad. All of these operations are at the ends of CSAO branches, and some of them even branch off of NJ Transit's Atlantic City line (or depending on your time period, the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines)


Speaking of CSAO, i just passed Pavonia Yard in Camden, NJ on the Light Rail, and they had at least 4 Hi-nosed GP38s out and about, as well as some of the new GEVOs. Pretty much all NS, but i know there was probably some CSX hidden away somewhere.