Block Swap Operations

[railohio]

It's possible to model yard operations without the entirety of a space-hogging yard. Mainline trains can exchange blocks of cars, called block-swapping, at remote locations and sidings anywhere on the railroad. This can introduce more switching on a layout where the mainline run is already too quick.

A few years ago CSX used to haul auto parts from Chicago to Louisville but no trains directly served those two cities. The parts would leave Chicago on train Q501 and travel east to Deshler, Ohio where they'd take a right hand turn and head south for Lima. There the cars would be set out in the yard for train Q241 to pick up and take to Louisville. This arrangement was required because train Q501 did not continue all the way to Louisville, instead terminating in Cincinnati. Train Q241 came from Walbridge, Ohio and after changing crews in Cincinnati continued on with the auto parts to Louisville. When CSX introduced remote yard jobs in Lima productivity declined and the yard became less efficient. Lacking sufficient yard space to make the auto parts set out and pick up in Lima the chore was moved to the south sidings in Deshler. South of Deshler on the Cincinnati mainline are two passing sidings, one on each side of the mainline. With sufficient capacity for the dispatcher to arrange meets one siding was used for a few hours each evening to hold auto parts cars. Train Q501 would leave the cars on the passing siding in Deshler and continue on to Cincinnati without working in Lima. Train Q241 would then pick up the cars a few hours later and continue on to Cincinnati and eventually Louisville.

This could effectively be modeled on a model railroad with any passing siding or even a surplus spur. It adds operational interest for train crews who might otherwise just run around the layout without doing any work. It can also create more work for the dispatcher who has a siding out-of-service for meets account of cars being held in it.

[dave1905]

The MP had the "Bald knob shuffle". It varied over the years but the basic idea was the MP ran a train out of Houston, Ft Worth and San Antonio towards St Louis, Salem, IL, and Chicago then another one from N Little Rock to Memphis. All the trains operated through Bald Knob. They would all drop blocks for teh various destinatins and pick up blocks for where they were going.

[Brakie]

Conrail did block switching in Crestline at CP Middletown(Middletown Road) that involved trailers/stacks bound for Cleveland and Indianapolis.Of course this tide up one main line and things could become hectic on a busy night.

[NJ Devils Fan]

As a former "railroader" for the NYS&W, I can give you some information on how we "swapped trains". First, to answer your question, yes, you can model a yard without all the space hogging that goes along with it.

A yard, simply, in most cases, is defined by yard limits specified in the timetable. Yard limits, on the NYS&W, were placed at locations where a lot of switching was done, up and down the line. The "yard" was nothing more than the mainline between 2 fixed points (usually mileposts) with a passing siding or sidings in the middle.

Here's how it worked: The Utica job (UT-1) would head south to meet the Binghamton job (BH-1 or BH-2) with cars destined for Binghamton NY. These were usually empties for the D&H (now CP) interchange and cars destined for Little Ferry, NJ. Some insight: NYS&W had interchange points with Conrail at Utica, Binghamton and Little Ferry (Passiac Jct.). Conrail would, for some reason, interchange the Little Ferry cars at Utica...my guess was that Susie-Q got a line haul fee. They would also interchange cars for Utica at Binghamton...go figure.

The BH-1 would head north to meet the UT-1 and swap their trains. The usual meeting place was Sherburne, NY. That was the halfway point for the Utica main and it's where a great little pizza joint was. Somtimes meets would be in Norwich or Sangerfield depending on the amout of work to be done on the way by either crew.

This is how the "meet" took place: the train that arrived first usually "parked itself" away in a siding or sidings depending on it's length. After the train is put away, they then pulled their engine(s) back out to the main and waited for the other train. When the 2nd train arrived, they cut their engines away from their train on the main and took their engine(s) into the siding and "tied on" to their new train. Meanwhile the first train, still sitting on the main with just their engine(s), proceeded to the train that was just left for them. Both crews now do a brake test. Then the train on the main departs. Once they clear, the other train pulls out of the siding and proceeds as well. If a "complete swap" (locomotives and train)was to be done, that was even easier. The entire train took the siding and the other train pulled up alongside. Once stories and manifests and crews were swapped, then they each departed in seperate directions. After train 1 pulled out, train 2 came off the siding. Presto, a "block swap" was done.

That's it. No complicated yard needed. Just a passing siding, or, at least a stub ended siding. As long as you have a way for two trains to pass, you can have a "yard". That's how it's done on the real world so that can be applied to the models as well, and be prototypical too!