An Update About My Operating Sessions

Greetings followers of the Atlantic Pacific Railroad and my blog!

It’s been quite some time that I gave folks an update on my operating sessions. Since my last post in August 2020, the operating scenarios have been vastly improved over time.

I started to have these operating sessions with printed jobs on index cards. It started out with a total of 4 people. Dispatcher, yardmaster and two engineers running trains. I then added two more people over time for a total of 6. This gives me dispatcher, yardmaster, secondary industries, 2 engineers and an engine hostler! Yes, I have one person who gets the engines ready at the engine terminal, along with a caboose, for trains that will be run during the operating session.

Here’s the information that each person will get for his assignment.

Yardmaster…

YARDMASTER NOTES – TODAY’S JOBS

LOCAL TRAINS

GMTX 2346 LOCAL – MIKES LUMBER   TRACK 4 – 4 BOX CARS 

GMTX 2103 LOCAL – SHAPELESS STEEL / C&P RESTAURANT SUPPLY

USE REEFERS & GONDOLA CARS FROM INBOUND CSX 5970 /5965

AP 307 LOCAL – THREE AMIGOS / TANK TERMINAL

USE FREIGHT FROM INBOUND AP 601/600

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INBOUND TRAINS                         OUTBOUND TRAINS   

CSX 5970/5965 - MANIFEST          AP 2360/2370 - MANIFEST

AP 601/600 – MANIFEST                CR 3276/3278 – MANIFEST

AP 302/304 – MANIFEST                CSX 2186/2623 – MANIFEST

CSX 1544/1557 – JUICE                  KCS 4783  – JUICE

 

Engine Hostler…

HOSTLER MOVES TO /  FROM RICHMOND HILL ENGINE TERMINAL (R.H.E.T.) 

ENGINES TO / FROM R.H.E.T. – CABOOSE NEEDED FOR ALL ENGINES

LOCAL TRAINS

GMTX 2346 LOCAL – MIKES LUMBER   TRACK 4 – 4 BOX CARS 

GMTX 2103 LOCAL – SHAPELESS STEEL / C&P RESTAURANT SUPPLY

AP 307 LOCAL – THREE AMIGOS / TANK TERMINAL

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INBOUND                                         OUTBOUND 

CSX 5970/5965                                AP 2360/2370

AP 601/600                                      CR 3276/3278

AP 302/304                                      CSX 2186/2623

CSX 1544/1557                                        KCS 4783

 

Rock Ridge Secondary Operator…

TROPICANA REEFERS TO/FROM ROCK RIDGE YARD

USE TROPICANA #24 FOR MOVES

CONTACT ROCK RIDGE YARDMASTER FOR MOVES TO / FROM YARD

OUTBOUND PULL – TRACK 2 – 2   TRACK 3 – 6  TRACK 4 – 6

YARDMASTER WILL NOTIFY WHEN INBOUND CARS ARE READY TO BE PICKED UP

INBOUND – 2 CARS TO TRACK 2 – 5 CARS TO TRACK 5 – 5 CARS TRACK 6

TOTAL CARS MOVED – 15 OUT / 12 IN

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CARGILL MOVES TO/FROM ROCK RIDGE YARD

USE AP #100 FOR MOVES

CONTACT ROCK RIDGE YARDMASTER FOR MOVES TO YARD

OUTBOUND MOVES – 4 TANK CARS EACH FROM TANK TRACKS 1&2 TO ROCK RIDGE – 6 COVERED HOPPERS TRACK 1 TO ROCK RIDGE

ONCE OUTBOUNDS ARE CLEAR MOVE 4 TANK CARS EACH FROM TRACKS 3&4 TO TANK CAR TRACKS 1&2 – MOVE COVERED HOPPERS FROM GRAIN TRACK 2 TO TRACK 1

INBOUND MOVES – 6 COVERED HOPPERS TO GRAIN TRACK 2 – 4 TANK CARS EACH TANK TRACKS 3&4

TOTAL MOVES – 14 OUT / 14 IN

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COAL CARS TO/FROM ROCK RIDGE YARD

USE AP #100 FOR ALL MOVES

CONTACT YARDMASTER FOR MOVE TO YARD

PULL EMPTY COAL HOPPER CARS FROM POWER PLANT TRACK 1/2

MOVES LOADED COAL HOPPERS FROM TRACKS 3&4 TO TRACKS 1&2

WHEN NOTIFIED, PICK UP COAL HOPPERS FROM ROCK RIDGE YARD – DROP 2 COAL HOPPER CARS ON TRACKS 3&4

TOTAL CARS MOVED – 4 OUT / 4 IN

Engineer Moves...

ENGINEER MOVES

CSX 5970/5965 – MANIFEST TRAIN SO. STAGING TO ROCK RIDGE

AP 2360/2370 – MANIFEST TRAIN ROCK RIDGE YARD TO SO. STAGING

CSX 1544/1557 – TROPICANA JUICE TRAIN NO. STG. TO ROCK RIDGE

KCS 4783 – TROPICANA JUICE TRAIN ROCK RIDGE TO NO. STAGING

AP 302/304 – MANIFEST TRAIN SO. STAGING TO ROCK RIDGE

CR 3276/3278 – MANIFEST TRAIN ROCK RIDGE TO SO. STAGING

GMTX 2346 – LOCAL TRAIN – MIKES LUMBER

GMTX 2103 – LOCAL TRAIN – SHAPELESS STEEL / C&P REST. SUPPLY

AP 307 – LOCAL TRAIN – THREE AMIGOS WHSE / TANK TERMINAL

AP 302 – MANIFEST TRAIN – SO. STAGING TO ROCK RIDGE

CSX 2186/2623 – MANIFEST TRAIN ROCK RIDGE TO SO. STAGING

CONTACT DISPATCHER FOR TRACK POSITION AT STAGING FOR ALL OUTBOUND & INBOUND TRAINS!

Dispatcher gets a copy of everything above plus…

Consists…

CONSIST       ENGINE              CONSIST      ENGINE

 

127      M&E 18 M&E 19            114    

126      AMTRAK 95 / 139         113    

125      CSX 5930 CSX 5931      112     AP 2370 AP 2360

124      CSX 6898 CSX 6899      111     CSX 1153 CSX 1177

123      CSX 2186 CSX 2623      110     AP 601 AP 600

122      AP 302    AP 304            109     CR 3276 CR 3278

121      AMTK 161 AMTK 188    108    

120      AP 2350 AP 2340           107      AP 306 AP 305

119      CP 2023 CP 9049           106      CSX 5972 CSX 5966

118      CSX 2042 CSX 2015      105     

117      AP 106 AP 107               104      CSX 1557 CSX 1544

116      CSX 5970 CSX 5965      

115      CSX 2806 CSX 2810             

Consist numbers are what we use in the world of DCC. I can call any engine in consist and both engines will move, depending on how the engines are placed on a train. If engines are elephant style, you would enter the lead engine road number into the throttle and both engines (or multiple engines), will move together. If engines are put back to back, the road number on the engine you call up will determine the direction they move…

Trains in Staging…

NORTH STAGING

TRACK 1 W CSX 1544 – JUICE TRAIN

TRACK 1 E AP 2340 – STEEL TRAIN

TRACK 2 W CSX 4697 – MANIFEST TRAIN

TRACK 2 E AP 305 – MANIFEST TRAIN

TRACK 3 W AP 601 – MANIFEST TRAIN

TRACK 3 E CSX 8672 – MANIFEST TRAIN

TRACK 5 – DO NOT USE TRAINS ON THIS TRACK!

 

SOUTH STAGING

TRACK 1 E CSX 870 – INTERMODAL TRAIN

TRACK 1 W CSX 6898 – INTERMODAL TRAIN

TRACK 2 E CSX 5970 – MANIFEST TRAIN

TRACK 2 W AP 302 – MANIFEST TRAIN

TRACK 3 E CSX 5972 – AUTO RACK TRAIN

TRACK 4 E CSX 8905 – STEEL TRAIN

TRACK 4 2 CSX 4035 – STEEL TRAIN

 

Yardmaster and Engine Hostler get copies of Engine Consists as well…

I did make some changes to a couple of trains that start and end in staging. There were 3 trains that I called 'dedicated' trains. One was Tropicana, a train for Cargill with covered hoppers and corn syrup tank cars, and a coal train. I took the Cargill trains (there were 3 sets) and turned them into manifest trains with other freight and they terminate at Rock Ridge Yard. The 8-12 coal car train, has been eliminated and now are on manifest trains as well. The Tropicana 'Juice' Train, now terminates at Rock Ridge Yard instead of going thru the yard and tying up the secondary track outside Rock Ridge Yard. A 14 car juice train can tie up that track for quite a while and hold up other trains entering or departing rock Ridge Yard. This track needs to be clear for the most part as it gives the yardmaster more track clearance to move trains in and out of the yard. This gives the yardmaster more work since there's more cars to handle. The good news that Rock Ridge Yard has 4 arrival/departure tracks to put these freight cars, which has the capability, depending on the track and length of freight cars, to hold 10-13 cars on each track! The Intermodal trains and Auto Rack trains are not affected since they do not go thru Rock Ridge Yard..

Now, a typical operating session with 2-3 locals, work at Rock Ridge Secondary, as well as bringing trains to and from staging lasts approximately 2 ¼ - 2 ½ hours. Every now and then, there’s one person who enjoys running my passenger trains, so we’ll throw one in the mix. Besides, passenger trains do get priority on the railroads!

The sessions are fun, and the comradre is enjoyable as well. If I see we’re a little behind, I’ll decide to only run 2 locals or run 3, but leave the last one in the yard when it returns from the industries it served. We’ll finish it on the next session..

Operating sessions will resume in March. Stay tuned for more updates and the continuous upgrades to the railroad!

Thanks for reading!