How would this be switched?

[Gary S]

Okay, this is pretty basic, but I am not sure how a real railroad would do this.

Suppose this is a lazy shortline railroad with a couple industries and track as diagramed. The local freight is headed left to right, with a short train which is shorter than the siding so a run-around move is possible. We don't have to worry about blocking the main, as no other trains are coming through.

There is a car at Industry 1 which needs to be picked up and a car at Industry 2 which needs to be picked up. We also need to set out a car at Industry 2.

So how would this typically be done? I have included the numbers just as an aid in describing the movements - you don't necessarily have to use the numbers, just describe what you would do. Thanks!

   

[P5se Camelback]

Is this a trick question? Have I been awake too long? We have no set-outs or pick-ups in this town ... The switch list indicates Industry "A" and Industry "B." Keep that NW-2 rolling to the next berg, where our set-outs and pick-up will undoubtedly be. 8-)

[Puddlejumper]

Assuming industry "A" and "B" are labeled as "1" and "2" on your track chart... I would uncouple on the main and run head first into industry "A", pulling the car that needs to be pulled and then go to industry "B" pulling that car, leaving both in the siding. Then I would back out to my train on the main, couple up, and pull forward, dropping the cabin on the main by the siding. Then I would pull past the switch, back in on the 2 cars I left there to be picked up, then pull forward to clear the siding, and back onto the cabin (or if on a grade release the brake and let it coast down onto the train).

[Gary S]

No trick question, just a dumb mistake. I am going back to edit the original post.

[Gary S]

Thanks Dave. I have heard of the rule that pick-ups are typically placed at the back of the train. Your moves make total sense.

Now, what about the set-out at Industry 2?

[railohio]

However the conductor handling the work wants to make the moves.

[P5se Camelback]

Sorry ... I have been awake too long!

Dave's suggestion seems to make sense, but now that I'm here typing this reply, I can't remember where the pick-up is or i would attempt to get it. In the future, I'll leave these puzzles alone. I'm the only one who is amused by my attempts at humor - notoriously bad when I'm overly tired.

G'night!

[Gary S]

biL, I too was amused!

But there was also the horror of the mistake!

[Brakie]

Why switch it at all and make all those unnecessary moves?

Here's the way most conductors I worked with would hand those industries..We would simply switch it on the way back..This saves time..

Now if we were to switch these industries here's the plan.

We would run around our train and couple onto the caboose and make our cut at the setouts.Now we have the caboose and the setouts we would proceed to industry 1 and make the setout..Now we would shove ahead to industry 2 and switch those cars out.We would then return to our train and make couple the caboose and pickups to our train..Run the engine around our train,couple up,pump the air and then head out of town.


Here's what a old line PRR conductor told me when I was a student brakeman..

Sonny,Remember these words and you will do well..Plan your work and work your plan,never move cars you don't have to or make unnecessary moves and never get your cabin in front of your face-in other words Think ahead!

[steinjr]

We would run around our train and couple onto the caboose
[/quote}

never get your cabin in front of your face

Sorry. Your switching move makes perfect sense.

My odd sense of humor was just tickled by the mildly amusing combination here (where quite literally putting the caboose/cabin in front of your face perhaps would be the best way of doing things).

Grin,
Stein

[Puddlejumper]

Oops... missed that we had a setout to make. Brakie's scenario is what I would follow I suppose. If the pickups were on grades I may be tempted to use that to my advantage in order to eliminate moves.

[P5se Camelback]

Why switch it at all and make all those unnecessary moves? ... We would simply switch it on the way back ... an old line PRR conductor told me when I was a student brakeman ... "Sonny, remember these words and you will do well. Plan your work and work your plan, never move cars you don't have to or make unnecessary moves, and never get your cabin in front of your face - in other words Think ahead!

Geez, Brakie! That sounds like excellent advice, especially the bit about not getting "your cabin in front of your face" ... that part made my face widen to a big grin! That's solid, old school, been there, made that mistake, not goin' there again advice!

Thanks ... i'll be rememberin' that and smiling for the rest of the day!

[Charlie B]

[quote="Brakie"]Why switch it at all and make all those unnecessary moves?

Brakie, that is good advise, except for one thing. todays locals outlaw somewhere up the line and don't make it back until tomorrow or the next day, meanwhile the people that the industries have working over waiting for the cars get screwed.
I wish I had a nickel for every time the local pulled this on me and the mill we serviced actually had to shut down for lack of cars to load. This despite the fact the crew was called specific to work us first, but they knew better. I was glad when that crew was removed from the local and the job was put on the extra board.
Charlie

[Gary S]

Thanks for the insights, gentlemen. I'll probably be asking some more of these questions later.

[Brakie]

Why switch it at all and make all those unnecessary moves?

Brakie, that is good advise, except for one thing. todays locals outlaw somewhere up the line and don't make it back until tomorrow or the next day, meanwhile the people that the industries have working over waiting for the cars get screwed.
I wish I had a nickel for every time the local pulled this on me and the mill we serviced actually had to shut down for lack of cars to load. This despite the fact the crew was called specific to work us first, but they knew better. I was glad when that crew was removed from the local and the job was put on the extra board.
Charlie

Charlie,That has always been a problem..A lot of a local crew's time can be spent waiting in a siding.Some times we was told to not switch a industry because the main line was to heavy...

PRR had a uran industrial branch in Columbus(Oh) that had a 10 mph speed restriction and was 4 miles long and served 2 customers a scrap yard and a lumber company and all crossings had to be flagged...Any time we had to waddle up that branch we knew we was in for a long day because it took 2 hours to do the work and make the round trip..

I recall another time we waited 45 minutes for a passenger train to pass-we could have done the work in 15-20 minutes and then cleared up and still been within the rules..