We find the switcher, a Baldwin VO-1000 (Stewart is the mfgr), hooked up to the empty coal cars that need to be taken to the docks, so the night crew did us a favor leaving it here.
Once we get underway, we pull the five empties forward onto the ladder track and then back them down to the docks where we latch onto the seven hoppers that have been filled overnight.
We now pull forward and take the filled cars to a storage track where they will wait until there are enough cars (15) to justify a coal drag.
After cutting off the filled cars, we return to the docks and drop off the empties so the crane can begin unloading the barge into the new empties. By tomorrow, they will all be filled.
While we are at the docks, we grab the string of cars on the other track to take back for sorting.
A quick look at the paperwork shows that all are bound for Chicago. Five of the six are empties headed home while the sixth is a PRR Merchandise Service box laden with paper headed for the Collin & Brown Printing Plant in Chicago. Based on what we saw from Pittsburgh earlier, the Chicago run is going to be "overloaded". With a 10 car max for each train, we'll have to slide the two excess cars onto a storage track to wait until tomorrow's Cleveland-Chicago run. We also pick up the PRR Merchandise Service box from the storage track we need to send to the brewery. When switching, you never want to waste moves, so maximize every opportunity! We file the cars from the docks on the Chicago outbound track, drop off the PRR MS box on a runaround track (because the local crew will have to push it out instead of pull it because it's a facing point switch), and also pick up the inbounds from Pittsburgh to add to the outbound Chicago track -- with the exception of the two excess cars which go on another track for tomorrow's run. The lumber and copper loads will have to wait their turn.
Here's a look at where things stand as we are late in the morning now. All the yard and dock cars have been sorted. We have the local deliveries ready to go for the local crew, who will now pick up the PRR MS box as well as pick up any cars in the Flats or at local industries. The dispatcher says there are only four pickups today, so it should be a real easy day for them. For us, we'll take a break and await the arrival of the inbound freight from Chicago.
The NW box and the Southern box are the ones waiting until tomorrow's train. The B&O gondola is the head of today's Chicago run and you can see the filled coal hoppers on the storage track. All the other cars you see are empties in storage. We need to tell the hostler to get that stinkin' Alco off the storage track, as it's taking up valuable space. (Note: The PRR Merchandise Service you can see behind the engine is actually empty. The one bound for the brewery is off the left side of this shot on the runaround track. There's another MS box that was from the docks that is at the end of the Chicago string.)
Here's a closeup of one of the hoppers (weathered with an airbrush).
Next up: The local crew goes to work
Once we get underway, we pull the five empties forward onto the ladder track and then back them down to the docks where we latch onto the seven hoppers that have been filled overnight.
We now pull forward and take the filled cars to a storage track where they will wait until there are enough cars (15) to justify a coal drag.
After cutting off the filled cars, we return to the docks and drop off the empties so the crane can begin unloading the barge into the new empties. By tomorrow, they will all be filled.
While we are at the docks, we grab the string of cars on the other track to take back for sorting.
A quick look at the paperwork shows that all are bound for Chicago. Five of the six are empties headed home while the sixth is a PRR Merchandise Service box laden with paper headed for the Collin & Brown Printing Plant in Chicago. Based on what we saw from Pittsburgh earlier, the Chicago run is going to be "overloaded". With a 10 car max for each train, we'll have to slide the two excess cars onto a storage track to wait until tomorrow's Cleveland-Chicago run. We also pick up the PRR Merchandise Service box from the storage track we need to send to the brewery. When switching, you never want to waste moves, so maximize every opportunity! We file the cars from the docks on the Chicago outbound track, drop off the PRR MS box on a runaround track (because the local crew will have to push it out instead of pull it because it's a facing point switch), and also pick up the inbounds from Pittsburgh to add to the outbound Chicago track -- with the exception of the two excess cars which go on another track for tomorrow's run. The lumber and copper loads will have to wait their turn.
Here's a look at where things stand as we are late in the morning now. All the yard and dock cars have been sorted. We have the local deliveries ready to go for the local crew, who will now pick up the PRR MS box as well as pick up any cars in the Flats or at local industries. The dispatcher says there are only four pickups today, so it should be a real easy day for them. For us, we'll take a break and await the arrival of the inbound freight from Chicago.
The NW box and the Southern box are the ones waiting until tomorrow's train. The B&O gondola is the head of today's Chicago run and you can see the filled coal hoppers on the storage track. All the other cars you see are empties in storage. We need to tell the hostler to get that stinkin' Alco off the storage track, as it's taking up valuable space. (Note: The PRR Merchandise Service you can see behind the engine is actually empty. The one bound for the brewery is off the left side of this shot on the runaround track. There's another MS box that was from the docks that is at the end of the Chicago string.)
Here's a closeup of one of the hoppers (weathered with an airbrush).
Next up: The local crew goes to work
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