Freelance 2012

[faraway]

Reinhard, I'd be very interested if you could take us through an opeating cycle with photos.

I am thinking about a useful answer since two days... but I find no way how an incoming, outgoing CSX/UP train will look different than a Corman/LAJ switch cut. They all have only four cars. It is all in my imagination what an engine with four cars is.

May be a summary with photos is helpful



There is a four track staging yard hidden behind my desks and the computer screen. I have no physical access and no switching (coupling/uncoupling) takes place.
(Please ignore the old ground cover. It is the residual of the former harbor and contains lots of plaster. The remove it will be a mess, damage all tracks but has no operational benefit. May be that is a topic of freelance 2013)

A. In todays scenario it is filled with four Corman trains. I assume one couple in on Corman line A, exchanges somewhere with CSX and runs a daily local in both direction. The other couple is Corman line B and has somewhere exchange with NS. It runs a daily local in each direction too.

B. It might also be filled with two CSX/UP and two Corman/LAJ trains. The operation would not really change but I have more different "colors" in the yard (see next photo).


This is the is "the yard". Left to right: two stub tracks 1 and 2, siding and runaround track 3 and main track 4. All four locals of Corman line A and B run daily through this yard. They arrive at track 4, uncouple cars that should either go to the other Corman line or go to the local industry. the pick the cars from track 3 and depart. It is the job of the local switcher to temporary store cars on track 1 and 2 that should go from line A to B and B to A. The local switcher also collects cars from the local industry and drops cars delivered by the locals at the local industry.


This is the west local industry. It is served with lumber cars (center beam, all door box car), grain (covered hopper) and boxcars.


And finally the east industry. Served with tank cars (left) and box cars (right). The center track is spare and local staging.