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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
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
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
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!
