The GP7 gets assigned to the CLE-CHI run and it hooks onto the train and pulls forward until the switch crew can tack on the cabin car. We climb on and away we go. We pass through the Flats, through the industrial district past the brewery and climb the grade up into downtown. After that, we have an uneventful trip to Chicago, pulling into the yard right on schedule.
Now we'll climb on board with the CB&Q switch crew, who also pilots a Baldwin VO cab. There's a lot of switchwork to be done today. Not only do we have around 15 empty requests that will need to be pulled out of storage and assembled for local delivery, we also have the 10 cars that just arrived from Cleveland clogging one of the tracks. The crew grabs onto the caboose from the PRR train and pulls the cars off the engine, leaving the GP sitting there until further notice. It's a pretty easy sort as there are a couple cars that are headed to the West side of Chicago, so we add them to the three cars already waiting on Track 7 headed to the same location. There are four cars headed to KC -- and we have none currently -- so we shove them onto an empty track that for today will become the KC Outbound track (more cars are likely to come in after the locals make their runs). The rest of the cars are empties that go into one of the storage tracks. The only thing that complicates our job is that only three of the four fit on the storage track we are closest to, so we have to take the last empty tank car up to the other storage track and hook it onto the long line that is about to be pulled.
Next we pull the long line to start sorting empties onto the proper track. This takes some time as their are about 17 cars in the line and we need about 14 of them sorted. When we are almost done we realize two things: One, the CGW stock car has been put on the wrong track and of course is the furthest car of the string, so we have to pull the whole string to get it onto the right track; Two, there's an ITC box with no paperwork that needs to be relocated. We fix the former with some more switch work and fix the latter by realizing apparently we never created a car card for it. We remedy that situation as well. If we have time, we'll sort each local string (there's a West side and East side train) best we can to minimize the amount of road switching the locals have to do -- and reduce the amount of swearing aimed in our direction.
Next up: Riding along with the locals.
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